Forrest and Slade, The Popeye Doyle Mission
by P.J. Murphy
Summary: Offshoot of Chuck vs. the 42 Year Old Virgin. Agent Alex Forrest requests the help of new agent Jimmy Slade to help her prevent a terrorist incident in New York. Some adult content, T rating pushed a bit. Definite fluff moments, given the last story.
1. New Person, New Assignment, New Problems

_Since finishing "Chuck vs. the 42-Year-Old Virgin," (and if you haven't read that or "Chuck vs. the Alpha Version," you may want to before delving into this story) I've been debating about whether to write a shorter story where Alex Forrest and Jimmy Slade work together on a case. I even put a poll up on my profile to ask what people thought about it. As of December 7__th__, it was 3-2 in favor of the story. However, there were two other reasons I decided to write the story. Firstly, the feedback at the end of "Chuck vs. the 42-Year-Old Virgin" indicated that people seemed to like the pairing of Forrest and Jimmy. Both are probably as polar opposites of each other as Chuck and Sarah, but they have more than a few things in common as well. Secondly, I wanted to delay the beginning of "Chuck vs. 3 Weddings, a Funeral, 2 Retirements, and a Birthday" until I knew a little more about the 3__rd__ season, as that story is the theoretical "series finale," and I like to try and stay within the canon of the show as much as possible._

_So enjoy this shorter story regarding a mission that Alex Forrest and Jimmy Slade take on in New York. _

_**BE FOREWARNED,**__ the "T" rating gets pushed pretty hard later in the chapter, and I don't mean for violence. If it offends you, blame __**Wepdiggy**__ and __**MXPW**__. I've been reading too many of their stories lately. :-P_

_Of course, please leave feedback if you so desire. Enjoy!_

* * *

**_Nellis Air Force Base  
_****_November 5, 2010  
4:45 PM_**

Jimmy Slade never liked parties, especially ones that took place in an office. He never felt comfortable around coworkers. He always pitched in whenever he could, and he certainly never participated in the dreaded office politics that seemed to permeate every single job he ever had…and there were a lot of those. Perhaps that's why he settled on working as a computer trainer. He worked by himself, he didn't answer to anybody, and he typically controlled the environment. Or perhaps he saw the movie _Office Space_once too often. He couldn't think of a single person who didn't feel sorry for Milton, getting pushed around like that and ending up with no birthday cake at Lumbergh's party. Jimmy's youth felt a little too much like that for his own liking.

However, Jimmy couldn't see getting out of this party. In fact, it would have been downright rude to blow it off. The party was for him.

It was his last day at Nellis. He completed his training almost three months ahead of schedule. This was in spite of the fact that the base continued to rely on him to help with their computer systems. Jimmy didn't realize that he had gained in popularity among the men and women who were assigned there. Certainly his instructors liked him. He never complained, and he sported enough black eyes and broken noses to look like the "after" picture of an auto accident. Yet he kept coming back for more. It was hard not to respect someone who wouldn't give up. The people in the C.O.'s office definitely liked him. The commander's secretary, a 58-year-old civilian whom everybody affectionately called "Lieutenant Grandma," was happy that Jimmy taught her a bevy of shortcuts for all of the software she was required to know, cutting her workload almost in half. Twice when someone tried to hack their servers, Jimmy found the culprit within minutes.

This was one office party that was well-attended. Colonel Juan Reyes even relaxed the alcohol restrictions on the base for the party, mainly because he appreciated Jimmy's efforts. Of course, he was also upset to be losing Jimmy. That was a lot of free labor leaving tomorrow, courtesy of whatever branch of the government Jimmy was working for. He wished that Jimmy would be staying, but Colonel Reyes knew this day would eventually arrive. The best he could do is make sure Jimmy knew everybody appreciated what he did.

"And here is your gift from the physical wellness group," said Captain Mike "Marauder" McWilliams, laughing as he brought it forward. That was a joke of a description for their group if Jimmy ever heard one. McWilliams was responsible for Jimmy getting the crap beat out of him more than anybody else. He got his shots in on Jimmy early, because he knew Jimmy would eventually get in great shape and balance the combat scales a bit. Sure enough, once Jimmy started winning a few fights, earning McWilliams a couple of lost teeth himself; he knew that Jimmy was ready. Jimmy was all smiles as he accepted the heavy bag from McWilliams and his fellow Cobra Kai brethren. Of course, they twisted the knife a little bit by pasting images of a beat-up Jimmy on all sides of it and playing the theme to _Rocky_ on one of the computers as he accepted it, trying not to laugh.

The IT group bought him all 4 seasons of "Battlestar Galactica." Ordinarily, most IT groups are not thrilled with an outsider messing in their territory. But they discovered Jimmy would complete any assignment given to him, no matter how mundane or grueling. Suddenly, they liked him a lot. He had only seen the show a few times, but he had to admit the lady who played Number Six was pretty hot. He hoped there would be time to watch it at some point.

"Everybody!" Colonel Reyes raised his glass, and the room fell silent. "Normally I am not given to heaping effusive praise on an individual or saying how much we'll miss them…and that won't happen tonight, either." He waits for the laughing and the pointing at Jimmy to die down. "However, since I know Roger refuses to blow his own horn, I just want to thank you on behalf of everybody at the base for your hard work and dedication…and for allowing Marauder and his cohorts to use your face for target practice." He again waits for the laughter to die down. "But wherever life takes you next, I hope you have great success and the people you meet benefit from your dedication, your tenacity, your wisdom, and your kindness."

Everybody in the room raised their glasses and pointed them at Jimmy.

"To Roger Murdock!" Colonel Reyes' voice boomed throughout the mess hall.

"TO ROGER!" The crowd echoed the sentiment with smiles on their faces.

Jimmy stood up and raised his glass as well. "Thank you, sir. Thank you, everybody. This has been one of the most intense and exhilarating experiences of my life. And all the success I have will be in no small part because of all of you. I am truly grateful for all of the encouragement and guidance you've given me. I hope I honor all of you by being the best out there. Thank you very much."

Everybody applauded as Jimmy took a drink of his own. The crowd split up into various conversations while enjoying the evening and the celebratory music in the background. Many in the crowd came up to Jimmy during the evening to wish him luck.

_**Washington, D.C.  
**__**November 5, 2010  
**__**5:45 PM**_

Agent Alex Forrest walked into the office of General Diane Beckman, awaiting her next assignment. The last two assignments she completed in D.C. had a different feel to them. She wasn't sure, but the parameters of each assignment dictated the missions would take longer than they actually did. Was she suddenly more efficient in her job? Did she get smarter recently? Forrest knew reality was neither of those. The lesson she learned in Las Vegas six weeks ago had a tremendous impact on her work since then. Her two missions in Washington were group efforts with teams of other agents. Unlike prior missions, she used her communication skills more and made sure she put more trust in other agents to do their jobs. The results were instantaneous and profitable.

"General?" Alex Forrest stood in front of General Beckman, a bit of anticipation leaking through her voice.

"Have a seat, Agent Forrest." General Beckman's patented impassive look was working just fine. "When was the last time you were in New York?"

"I was there in 2006, ma'am. I assisted in stopping a cache of biological weapons from being transported into the country. They were supposed to be brought in by a terror cell in New Jersey for distribution to several cities on the East Coast."

"We potentially have that same problem facing us once again. Unfortunately, we have no data on what is being brought in or what is to be done with it. Our only clue is several wire transfers from three banks overseas that have been tied in the past to terrorist activities. The transfers were made to a brokerage firm on Wall Street. Obviously we need to know what their plans are before someone manages to bring a weapon of mass destruction into this country."

"We'll need an IT person to help us hack the systems of the brokerage firm."

General Beckman looked at her for a moment. "Do you remember what happened to you in 2006 with that mission?"

Forrest looked down at the ground. "I barely escaped with my life."

"It's not a knock against you, Agent Forrest. But we need more than a cyber spook on this one. If this new threat is credible, they're going to be playing hardball. Anybody would need help on this one. You need a hacker with a minor degree in ass-kicking."

"Do we have anybody good at Fort Meade?"

General Beckman shook her head. "Of the 4 agents we have with the skills for what you'll need, two are already on assignment, one is in the hospital recovering from third-degree burns on a mission, and the fourth is being investigated for possible ties to China."

"Damn." Agent Forrest rarely let emotion show through, but this situation was becoming more troublesome by the minute. A thought came to her mind. "How far along is Agent Slade with his training?"

General Beckman paused for a moment, considering the idea. She then typed a search into her computer. "Actually, he just finished two days ago. He was heading to Los Angeles for a week off before we sent him on his first assignment." She looked at Forrest for a moment. "Are you sure you want a complete rookie as your partner for this assignment?"

_For more reasons than one_, Forrest thought with a bit of an inward smile she didn't dare show to Beckman. "Given you sent him out on the assignment in Las Vegas, and that his first assignment took place a year ago with no training whatsoever, it would seem he is a rookie in name only."

"I'm worried about how you two will work together," Beckman cautioned her. "He's been known to improvise when things go wrong, and he doesn't always follow orders to the letter. Even Agents Bartowski and Walker noted that about him, and you know they're his most ardent supporters."

Forrest recalled Jimmy's improvisation skills on the job. His saving grace was that he always tried to follow planned strategy. However, when things went wrong, he wasn't one to follow someone else's orders. One thing was certain: she couldn't question his talent or bravery. If Beckman was worried about her getting in over her head, Slade chickening out was the one thing guaranteed not to happen. Slade's instincts were typically dead-on when it came to real danger.

"I think it will work, General. We'll talk at length about what needs to be done. He'll be fine. I'll consult with Agents Bartowski and Walker and Colonel Casey for any advice they can give me about Slade. They know him best."

"Very well, Agent Forrest." Beckman handed her several folders of data. "Make your way up to Manhattan, and I'll have him out there by tomorrow night."

"Thank you, General." Forrest rose smartly and exited General Beckman's office. As she turned down the hall, a small concession had to be made. She did have a few issues about working with Jimmy Slade again. However, they were of a very personal nature. And they weren't necessarily bad.

_**Nellis Air Force Base  
**__**November 5, 2010  
**__**8:30 PM**_

The crowd was starting to break up in the mess hall. Even though alcohol restrictions were eased for the party, almost everybody at the party chose not to test the boundaries of those restrictions, limiting themselves to only a few drinks. It may have been out of respect for the tough-but-fair methodologies Colonel Reyes administered at Nellis. Perhaps those not on weekend leave just wanted a quiet two days on the base. Jimmy looked around and gave a small smile. He wasn't much for being the center of attention, but certainly everybody had a good time this evening.

He started walking around the mess hall, picking up the various plates, cups and napkins, and placing them into the trash cans. He didn't really know what else to do for the rest of the evening. His flight to Los Angeles would leave tomorrow at 11AM, and he was already packed for it. The CIA had not yet established his new residence, but rumors were he would return to Chicago to live. They were considering an apartment for him in Lincoln Park, where it would be easy for him to work with the CIA office downtown or to get on a plane at O'Hare and be almost anywhere in the world on a moment's notice. Until tomorrow, there wasn't much to do.

"You should let the people on KP take care of that, Roger."

He turned around to see Lt. Elaine Burke standing behind him. Lanie, as she insisted he call her, was always nice to him, and she was more than easy on the eyes. The auburn hair and doe-like brown eyes were the perfect camouflage for a lady who could keep up with the guys in the classroom and surpass them in the bar. He never dared try to outdrink her, given his lack of expertise in imbibing.

Jimmy turned and smiled at her. "You know, I don't think I ever thanked you for doing all that shopping for me, getting those suits, shoes, and the tuxedo. Everything fit beautifully. I'd say you have a good eye for doing that, but I would think that sort of work would be degrading for a communications officer."

Lanie raised an eyebrow. It always puzzled her somebody this hot could also be that oblivious to it. Most of the guys she dated in high school, college, and OTS either thought they were God's gift to women or were so awkwardly shy, they weren't worth her efforts to get close. Roger was neither arrogant nor awkward. But somebody this attractive and this nice? She used to give the same validity to that as she did the Tooth Fairy and the Loch Ness Monster. Obviously Roger disproved that theory.

"First of all, you did thank me. That bouquet of flowers took up half of my desk, and I took full advantage of that spa card, believe me. Second of all, I volunteered to do that, so I would hardly call it degrading work. Certainly not since it was for you."

"Well, it was a great help to me, and I wanted you to know I appreciate all your hard work."

"So, what were all of those clothes for?" Lanie asked, with a hint of mischief in her voice.

"Ahh, I wish I could tell you, but I really can't."

It was obvious Lanie had a few drinks earlier, but she wasn't past the point of coherency. She walked closer to him. "Mmmm, it's classified? You could tell me, but then you'd have to kill me? Doing a little James Bond action there, Roger?"

Jimmy laughed. "Fine, Moneypenny," he says with a dead-on imitation of Sean Connery. "You've caught me, my dear. I was on a secret mission to destroy Blofeld's underground lair. I spent two weeks in Monte Carlo infiltrating his organization."

Lanie couldn't stop laughing, and even Jimmy got caught up in the amusing exchange. She grabbed the lapels of Jimmy's shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. It caught Jimmy by surprise, but he began to reciprocate. He had a few drinks earlier himself, and his guard was down a lot more than he preferred. The feel of someone's lips on his, especially someone as stunning as Lanie, was electrifying. After that 8-hour marathon session he had with Alex Forrest 6 weeks ago in Las Vegas, he quickly learned what all the fuss was about when it came to sex. A make out session was certainly something he could appreciate being part of.

As it turned out, Lanie had no plans to leave it to just kissing. Jimmy was so distracted by the kiss, he never noticed Lanie unbutton her blouse and unhook her bra. It was only after she took his hands and put them on her breasts was he suddenly clued in. She placed her hands firmly on his ass and pulled him to her, hooking her leg around him to keep him in place. Her tongue was a bumblebee inside of his mouth, flittering and teasing his tongue.

Unfortunately for both parties, a thought crossed Jimmy's mind.

"Um, don't you have a boyfriend?"

"No," Lanie breathlessly denied as she planted kisses on Jimmy's neck and unbuttoned his shirt.

"Actually, I think you talked about him once. He's a grad student at Oregon, studying bioengineering? You called him your 'cute little Duckie'?"

That didn't slow her down. She pulled his shirt away, exposing his chest, and started running her tongue all over it. "I haven't seen him in 4 months."

As much as Jimmy was turned on right now, the moral side of his brain was starting to take charge. "Mmmm, uh, I'm not sure if this is such a good idea. I don't want to complicate things for you."

She kissed back up his chest, along his neck, and then she took his earlobe in her mouth. "I don't want a new relationship, Roger…"

She unzipped his pants and slid her hand inside, flicking her tongue in his ear as she massaged him. "I just want to fuck your brains out."

_Oh crap_, Jimmy thought. _This is getting awkward_. He certainly couldn't deny he was enjoying this right now. The low moan that escaped his throat gave that away. And if it weren't for her boyfriend, he would do exactly what she wanted. But it just didn't feel right.

"Mmmm, the fun I'm going to have with this thing…" Lanie purred in his ear, playfully biting and licking the side of his face. Clearly she was good at stroking a guy's ego, too.

Jimmy had to find a way out of this. Certainly this scenario could come up on the job. Jimmy thought he might be able to go through with it if this was a mission. But this was simply helping her cheat on her boyfriend. He had to let her down without hurting her feelings. There was only one choice: lie like a rug.

"Lanie, Lanie," Jimmy said, starting to back away. "I don't know if I can do this. Believe me, it's not you."

She glared at him. "Don't even try to give me the 'it's not you, it's me' speech."

Jimmy quickly shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean. It's just…" Jimmy looks down at the ground, pretending to be ashamed. "It's just that my parents broke up because there was somebody else. I mean I was 10 and…well, I didn't even realize what the hell was going on. I hated myself for a long time because I thought I was the reason they got divorced. I just…I have a hard time being involved in that."

He looked up at her. "Believe me, I'd like nothing better than to take you up to your room and make love to you all weekend. Hell, I'd push back my flight to next year if I could. I…I just couldn't forgive myself for doing that to someone else."

Now it was Lanie's turn to look at the ground. Only she really was ashamed. "God, I'm sorry, Roger. I didn't…I wish I knew…"

Jimmy gently lifted her chin and looked into her chocolate eyes. "Believe me, there's nothing to be sorry about. You didn't know. Actually, maybe 5 people in the entire world know. It's not something I talk about. Trust me. Your cute little Duckie is very fortunate to have you."

She smiled. "You really mean that?"

He smiled back and glanced down. "Believe me, it'll be hours before that settles down."

She gave him a wicked grin and pulled her hand out; gently zipping his pants back up. "I am definitely jealous of the woman who finds you."

He gently placed a kiss on her lips and she responded with one that was more friendship than lust.

"Believe me," Jimmy replied. "I'm jealous of your boyfriend right now."

She smiled at him, looking into his deep blue eyes. "Be careful out there, Roger. Don't forget us."

"Thanks. I never will."

Jimmy exited the mess hall and made his way to his quarters. A thought gave him pause as he went up the stairs to his room on the third floor. He had to tell a terrible lie about his parents to get out of an awkward situation without anybody losing face. What hurt was the lie he told was still better than the truth. His father did a lot worse than cheat; he betrayed his whole family. He didn't break them apart over another woman; he killed them for the sake of another drink. Two people were in a grave and another was set afloat because of what he did; not only that night but for the rest of his life. The thoughts of the past rushed up on Jimmy, and he had to stop himself from becoming overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow.

_Jimmy, come on. That was your old life. This is your new one. Would you be out saving the world in your old life? Would hot women be feeling you up and trying to get you into bed in your old life? You can't change what Dad did. You can't bring Mom and Joanna back. Leave it there. Make this life work._

Jimmy walked down the hall to his room. He immediately fell into bed, checking to make sure the alarm was set for 7 AM.

_**McCarran International Airport  
**__**November 6, 2010  
**__**10:00 AM PDT**_

Jimmy took a look around the terminal as he waited for his United Airlines flight to Los Angeles. It wasn't very crowded at this hour, but he knew people would start arriving from the East Coast, and there would be a few people trying to catch flights back there as well. He was really looking forward to having a week off and spending that time with Chuck, Sarah, and Casey. Or at least Chuck and Sarah. They had talked to him earlier in the week and were excited to see him again. From what he could gather, things had been pretty quiet around the office and the yogurt shop since they returned from Las Vegas. They even noted that Casey seemed to be in a better mood. Perhaps it was that high-quality scotch that likely littered his apartment right now. Life was too short to drink cheap booze, especially in this line of work.

Chuck had already made a few plans with him. Jimmy had never been to Disneyland, and they were eager to drag him through there. Chuck also insisted they do the "Swingers Tour", including playing Par 3 golf, eating at the diner in the Best Western, going to the El Rey, and listening to Marty and Elayne at the Dresden. Jimmy had to shake his head. Apparently, having Sarah for a girlfriend wasn't enough anymore?

Jimmy's mobile phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID. He didn't recognize the number, but it had the Washington D.C. 202 area code on it.

"Murdock here."

"Go secure."

Jimmy's eyes widened at the staccato voice that replied to him. He quickly punched a few buttons on the phone.

"Bravo-Charlie, Six Seven."

A computerized shrill tone made him recoil a bit, and then the voice of General Beckman came on the line.

"Agent Slade, I wish to congratulate you on completing your training. Your final scores were most impressive."

"Thank you, General. But did you have to call me this way to tell me that?"

"No. I have to cut your vacation short. You are needed in New York. Book yourself on the next plane to LaGuardia. Information on where to go will be sent to your phone when you land. You will meet your contact there. Email the communications group of your approximate ETA once you know it."

"Any other information you can give me, General?"

"Your contact will give you all of the details. But this is an important one, Agent Slade. It's not the sort of assignment we would normally give to rookie agents. However your particular skills are crucial to its success. Good luck."

The phone cut off. Jimmy tried to keep the same look on his face, but the concern was creeping in already. Obviously, this assignment was critical; otherwise they'd just let him go on vacation. Even though he had been on two crucial missions already, a small bit of panic was starting to form in him he tried to shake off. Obviously he had to work on his self-confidence; people still had more faith in him than he had in himself.

He looked up at the large computer screen for flights. The pickings were pretty slim. The earliest he could get to LaGuardia would be 8 PM Eastern time that night. Unfortunately, there were no non-stop flights to New York. The best he could do is a 1 hour layover at O'Hare. At least he wouldn't have to change concourses at McCarran, which would have required taking two passenger trains. He immediately went to the gate in the D Concourse at McCarran to work on changing his flight.

_**Ritz-Carlton Hotel, New York  
**__**November 6, 2010  
**__**4:00 PM EDT**_

Agent Forrest entered the modest suite carrying her laptop and a small attaché case. The bellhop swiftly wheeled her traveling case into the room and handed her the room key. She gave him $20 without saying a word. He thanked her and exited. That was one piece of advice the CIA gave that she never thought of before: never tip too much or too little. Tip too little, and everybody will resent you for being cheap. Tip too much, and they'll bend over backwards for you and give you more attention than you really want. Always be nice but not memorable.

The room itself was nothing ostentatious for this hotel, but certainly it spelled luxury compared to some of the dives she's had to stay in or even do her job in over the years. She checked to see if the rooms next to hers had already been reserved. They hadn't, which helped her. She wasn't sure how willing Slade was to staying with her or if he wanted his own room. Quite honestly, she hoped for the former.

She sat on the couch in the room with the file on Jimmy Slade, sipping the bottle of water she carried with her from the airport. His file was more complete now than when she saw it six weeks ago, and his real name was now at the top of it, although an "AKA Roger Murdock – EYES ONLY" accompanied the name. The file now had Jimmy's correct school. He was still in the Big Ten but went to Illinois instead of Ohio State. The file also corrected his age to 40 instead of 42. She looked down the list of skills in the file. It was a fairly impressive list for a new agent, but aside from computing skills, her file matched most of his. She smirked at the fact that "enticement and seduction" was not on his list of skills, although it was on her list. The thought that they may wish to update that gave her a tingle through her body, especially in a few specific locations.

She suddenly threw the file aside. She was letting someone get close again. She had already compromised too much of her own being after Las Vegas, although she found in hindsight it worked to her benefit instead of her detriment. But developing feelings for a specific person couldn't happen. She couldn't allow it. She refused to put herself through it again.

She was a young hotshot FBI candidate at Quantico. Being a cop was in the family. Her father was one of Philadelphia's Finest, and her grandfather worked as an MP, but he died in the attack on Pearl Harbor. She originally graduated pre-law from Temple University with a B.A. in Criminology but decided that she would best serve her career by joining the Bureau. She met John O'Shea at a bar when she and her fellow candidates were blowing off steam after a tough exam. They fell head over heels for each other. He was the only one whom she let call her Alexandra. Anyone else calling her anything but Alex did so at their own peril. She thought they would work together in D.C. She would work as an FBI agent, and he would work for the Department of Defense as a strategic analyst.

He was walking through the E-Ring of the Pentagon at 9:37 AM on September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into it, four weeks before she was to graduate from the Academy.

The FBI had her on a suicide watch for 3 weeks following the attacks. They tried to get the young hotshot candidate back. The hellfire blonde who could outthink you over the table and drink you under it as well. When she was returned to active status, she requested a transfer to the CIA's training program in Langley. She was in the field within months. Her record for years was nothing short of stellar.

She acknowledged making certain mistakes of late. Perhaps she was growing wiser after 9 years in the Agency. She chided Agent Walker for getting so involved with Chuck Bartowski, but a lot of that was her own feelings about detachment from the people under her protection. She didn't do it, and she felt it repulsive for another agent to do it. She originally had the same feelings regarding Agent Slade. She was mad that General Beckman threw a computer geek at her as part of her team without telling her of his prior associations with people she resented. In the end, it did work out for the best, and she learned a lot. Clearly she must have had a change of heart if she requested Agent Slade work with her on this important mission.

However, any sort of relationship with Slade outside of professional or sexual was completely out of the question. His skills in the field were clearly valuable, and he certainly knew his way around the bedroom. She hadn't had sex for the sake of having sex in three years. Her only other sexual activities during that time were related to the job. Most times, those encounters were far from fulfilling for her. It was generally her job to get her mark to let his guard down until he either gave up information or got her to a location where she could obtain it. There would be no sex while this mission was going on. Once they started planning for infiltrating the brokerage firm, the relationship between Slade and her would be purely professional. That gave her one night...tonight...to get laid. Screw him through the night tonight, and work would begin in earnest tomorrow. Once the mission was over…well, she'd play it by ear. But he's not a boyfriend, he's not a date, he's just a lay. A good lay, but only a lay.

She pulled out her mobile phone and dialed a number. She needed information on Slade, and there was only one viable source for that. Forrest figured she owed them two dinners now.

_**McCarran International Airport  
**__**November 6, 2010  
**__**11:00 AM PDT**_

Jimmy quickly got on the phone and dialed Chuck and Sarah's apartment. He hated to do this. He really wanted some time off and to see them again. But they didn't hire him to sit on his butt in the sun all day, ride Space Mountain, and swing dance to Big Bad VooDoo Daddy.

"Hello?" Chuck's voice answers on the other end of the phone.

"Hey, Chuck. It's Jimmy. Sorry to call you so early."

"It's 11 AM. How late do you think we sleep on the weekends?"

Jimmy paused for a moment. He then shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot we're in the same time zone. My mind is already on Eastern Time, which is actually why I'm calling. I have to apologize, but they're cutting my vacation short. To…well, no vacation at all. They need me on a big mission out East."

"Aww, man. That totally sucks. I was really looking forward to this week. It's too quiet around here. We are completely lacking in excitement."

"Hey, hey. Don't jinx it. Things tend to get a little crazy when we've gotten together."

"That is a good point. OK, I'll let Sarah know. You be careful, OK?"

"Will do. Give her a big hug and kiss for me."

"You got it, buddy."

"I'll call you the first chance I get. Bye."

Jimmy looked at the gate. His group was already able to board, so he got in line to walk onto the jetway. He certainly felt down for not being able to see Chuck and Sarah. They already had plans for harassing Casey while he was there, and he wanted desperately to goad the NSA's favorite pain in the ass. However, work was work. And clearly the CIA either really liked him or really needed him. Either one of those was valuable to any person.

_**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
**__**November 6, 2010  
**__**10:30 PM EDT**_

Jimmy was more thankful than ever they put him in first class on the flight to O'Hare and the connecting flight to LaGuardia. They were delayed for 2 hours in Chicago thanks to a winter storm that made an early visit to the Midwest. Of course, 8 inches of snow in Chicago only meant that the roads and airport would be tied up. For everybody else, the Bears-Panthers game the next day would be played in the snow, which made any true fan's heart beat faster. In New York, they landed in the rain, and the descent into LaGuardia was a bit on the harrowing side. Normally Jimmy calmed himself on flights by observing the other passengers. If they weren't looking around or didn't look up from their magazines, he had no reason to worry. However, being in row 2 of the plane meant he was supposed to do that for them. He read a few items on his smartphone while listening to music, all the while not turning back so passengers could see the look of panic on his face.

He entered the hotel and shook off his umbrella. A concierge immediately walked up to him. "Mr. Murdock?"

"Yes?"

"We prepared your room key in advance when we knew your flight would be delayed. Your wife is already checked in and upstairs."

Jimmy gets over the initial surprise. "Thank you."

He checked the keycard and envelope for his room and walked swiftly to the elevator. At least he knew his partner for this mission was a woman. Did they assign him to Alex Forrest? That seemed a bit unusual, given they worked together so recently. If it was, he had to make sure he played it cool. Granted, that long Monday in his room at the Wynn Hotel was nothing short of amazing, as two very competitive people tried to outdo the other between the sheets. In the end, they had to declare it a tie, but certainly neither of them was too upset with that result. To say both of them enjoyed themselves to the fullest would be understating it. If Forrest was faking it, she deserved an Oscar for her performance.

He knocked on the door, and then he used his room key to open it. He saw Alex Forrest sitting on the couch, looking over some files. She stood up as he entered the room. She was wearing a white blouse and black knee-length skirt. However, the blouse tapered off into a plunging V neckline that might be on the borderline for acceptable office attire. He kept his eyes locked on hers so the cleavage she showed for him wouldn't get him under her spell. He had the feeling she was dressing to entice without being too obvious. If so, he had to look impressed but not eager. Clearly Las Vegas was not going to be a one time thing. However, she was either going to make him sing for his supper or try not to make it look like she was more than willing to sing for hers.

"Alex, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"And you, Jimmy." There was a tiny hint of a smile on her face, but she was trying hard not too look pleased or upset to see him. "Or do you prefer Roger?"

Jimmy smiled. "It was probably a bit disconcerting that you used James the last time we were together. Given our line of work, it's kind of an odd name to shout right before having an orgasm, even if it is the right name."

She laughed in spite of herself. "OK, Roger it is. This is a very important mission. I requested that you work with me on it."

Jimmy's eyes widened a bit. "You requested me? Damn. How many agents turned you down first?"

Forrest put up a cautionary finger. "Uh-uh. Don't even THINK of pulling that self-effacing crap with me. I already talked to Agent Walker today, and that was topic #1 in our discussion of you. So knock that shit off right now."

"You actually talked to Sarah about me?"

Alex sat down on the bed. "I need to know as much as I can about the people I work with. Bartowski, Walker, and Colonel Casey are the best sources of information regarding you."

"What did she say about me?"

"Sorry, that will stay between Walker and me. Rest assured, it was almost completely positive. All three of them think the world of you."

He smiled. "Well, the feeling is certainly mutual. Actually, I was going to spend a week out there with them before my first assignment."

"I do apologize, Roger. But this mission is critical. We have reason to believe a terror cell in the Tri-State area may be attempting to bring some sort of weapon into the country. So far, our only clue is a series of wire transfers between a brokerage firm on Wall Street and a bank overseas that has been tied to terrorist funding in the past. Obviously we need your computer skills to hack into their systems and get as much information as you can. However, we also have to assume this terror cell is playing for keeps, so we couldn't just bring any cyber spook up here and I would have the additional duty of watching their back. We needed someone who was physically skilled as well. That someone is you."

"I admit, it is rather flattering that people think I've made such an impact already."

Forrest was a bit amused. "And another item on the list of things I discussed with Walker. You're humble to a fault. Crippling The Ring for an extended period of time and preventing a fundamental shift in the Russian government? You're already well past the point of most agents' dossiers."

Jimmy shrugged. "Just helping out where they tell me to."

Forrest stood up at that point and walked towards him. "We'll plan the specifics tomorrow. Did you want to stay in this room or should we reserve the room next door?"

Jimmy looked at her for a moment. If Forrest was hoping Jimmy would sleep in her room, she was keeping a neutral expression about it. Certainly that would be his choice, but he didn't want to be too eager. It was important to keep the Ferris Bueller Rule in mind: don't marry the first girl you have sex with.

He raised an eyebrow as Alex stood mere inches from him. "Well, this is a really expensive hotel, and I think we shouldn't burden the taxpayers any further, wouldn't you say?"

Forrest smiled. _Smart man_, she thought. He made the choice she wanted and still managed to have a perfectly logical and non-sexual reason for doing it.

"Good," she replied, sliding her hands on either side of his face. They fell into a heated kiss, their tongues dancing and finding each other inside of their connected mouths. Forrest undid the two buttons at the bottom of her blouse and pulled it open. She took Jimmy's hand and slid it inside. His hand found her breast not covered by a bra. He immediately began to caress it. She closed her eyes in pleasure, shaking her shoulder so her blouse fell off of it. He kissed his way downward, his tongue dancing around the soft flesh. She moaned and ran her fingers through his hair as he teased her nipple with his lips and tongue.

He slowly made his way back up and looked into her stormy eyes. "I thought you had a policy about not having sex with the people you work with."

She looked at him with a devilish glance. "We start the job tomorrow."

She held him roughly, her tongue playfully flicking at his upper lip as her hand undid his belt and slid down inside of his pants. "Right now, I'm interested in another job."

"Mmmm, I see." Jimmy let out a little moan, more than agreeable to what she was doing. But he decided for a little one-upsmanship. He slid his hand under her skirt, his fingers tracing along her inner thigh.

"And what sort of job would that be?" Jimmy looked into her eyes with a lustful gaze as his hand slid between her legs. Her eyes rolled back, and her breathing got very shallow.

Forrest was starting to pant hard. "The kind of job I'll definitely owe you for what you're doing right now."

She straddled him and moaned into his ear as he continued his work on her. This night might not last eight hours, but that certainly wouldn't be for a lack of effort.


	2. Coworkers With Benefits

_Hello. Thanks for the reviews of the first chapter of **Forrest and Slade: The Popeye Doyle Mission**. I hope I kept true to the characters. Granted, one of them is an original creation. But in the case of Alex Forrest, I thought there had to be something in her past that would have had a profound impact on how she behaved now. However, unlike Chuck and Sarah, I wanted to make it something more recent, yet still difficult._

_Hopefully I'll keep everybody in character, although you have to admit, outside of my stories, the first part of this chapter would never happen. Still hope you like it._

_There's still a little bit of pushing the "T" rating in this chapter, but it's not as much as Chapter 1. I'm guessing I won't be able to keep this story to under 10,000 words, since I've gone over 13,000 with two chapters to go after this. As always, please leave reviews. Thanks!_

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Echo Park  
November 6, 2010  
1:15 PM PDT

Sarah Walker was picking up some items in the living room area of their apartment to get it straightened up in anticipation of their dinner tonight with Ellie and Devon. Since Chuck had gotten into cooking more, courtesy of study and his new Intersect, more than a few people have stopped by to sample the cuisine. He cooked for Casey the most number of times, mainly because Chuck and Sarah wanted to break him of his unhealthy candy-bar-and-scotch dinners that seemed to dominate his life. More than once were they tempted to track down Ilsa Trinchina in Europe just for the sake of having her straighten him out. Morgan never turned down an invite, and he was never shy about giving his opinions of the dinner, both good and bad. Sarah curtailed the amount of videogame playing those two did following a dinner. Boys will be boys, she acknowledged, but there had to be limits.

She was about to head to the store, but she needed to ask Chuck a question or two first.

"Sweetie, were you still making steak tonight?"

"Yes I was," Chuck called from the kitchen. "Got them marinating as we speak. I hope they take one of these home. We've got one less tonight with Jimmy not being here."

"Do you want me to get a Merlot or a Cabernet Sauvignon?"

"Cabernet. Get a couple of bottles. You know how Ellie is about wine."

Sarah smiled. One of the benefits of CIA training was knowing how to pick a good wine at almost any price range. Ellie always appreciated Sarah's tastes. Sarah loved having Devon and her over. Ellie and she were beyond close at this point.

Sarah's iPhone began to ring. She didn't recognize the number with the 202 area code.

"Hello?"

"Agent Walker, this is Alex Forrest."

Sarah was surprised, to say the least. Prior to six weeks ago, she would have had more than a few choice words for the cold-blooded agent. However, a bit of a thawing out between them following their last assignment had taken place.

"Yes, Alex?"

"I'm sorry to bother you at home, but I imagine by now you know Jimmy Slade won't be out there today."

"Yes, he called Chuck a few hours ago."

"I have to apologize, Agent Walker…"

"Sarah is fine."

"Thank you. Like I said, I have to apologize for that happening. We have an important assignment on the East Coast, and I put in a request to General Beckman to have him work with me on it."

Sarah playfully wondered whether Forrest requested Jimmy for his field skills or for getting her hot. Probably both. "I understand, Alex. He's very reliable under pressure."

"Actually, Sarah, I wanted to ask you some questions about him. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

Sarah glanced at the kitchen. She wasn't sure if Forrest wanted her to divulge any of this to Chuck, so she decided to play it safe. "Give me one moment, Alex."

"Of course," Forrest pleasantly replied. Sarah muted her phone.

"Chuck," Sarah called into the kitchen. "I'm going to pick up the wine. Do we need anything else?"

Chuck came sprinting in from the kitchen with a short list. "Could you also get these things, baby?"

Sarah glanced at the list. "No problem. Be back in a little while. Love you."

Chuck kissed her. "Love you, too."

Sarah exited the apartment and got in her Porsche. She put her phone on the passenger seat and turned on the speaker. She pulled out of her parking spot and headed to the store.

"Sorry for the delay, Alex. I just needed to get myself alone."

"No problem. General Beckman provided me with a more detailed file on Jimmy. He has a very impressive list of skills for a new agent. Is there anything that sticks out in your mind about him?"

Sarah smiled. "First and foremost, don't let him pull that crap where he talks negatively about himself. I didn't get on him about that right away when we first met, and I've been regretting it ever since. I don't even know why he does it."

That last sentence was a lie. Sarah knew exactly why Jimmy did that. However, she didn't want to get into a long explanation of Jimmy's horrible past. Keeping him moving forward was far more important.

"I'll make sure I do that. How is he in combat? I only got a glimpse of it in Las Vegas."

"He's greatly improved since the first time we worked with him, although he wasn't bad back then. He's probably on par with me, with the added bonus he's very well built."

_That much is certain_, Alex thought with a bit of a raunchy smirk. "How about in rescuing someone? Obviously, all of you were great when you rescued me. Anything that I don't know?"

Sarah thought about it for a moment. "That's where it gets a bit tougher. That's when he tends to improvise. I think he still has difficulty putting his life in the hands of others. He has no problem saving someone else's life. But there is no way he will ever let someone risk their life for him. He just won't allow it. If you ever get into a situation where only one of you can live, I guarantee right now that person will be you, Alex."

Alex shook her head. Sometimes she came across people like this in her line of work. They could be more dangerous than someone who stabbed you in the back. "Hero complex?"

"I don't know if it's that bad. He acts as if he has to prove himself worthy to others every waking moment. It's hard to convince him he really is that talented or brave. He's not as bad as he used to be, though. He's come a long way."

"That's a lot of good information, Sarah. I really appreciate all of your help. Now I owe you guys two dinners."

Sarah gave a little laugh. "Any other questions?"

Alex hesitated for a moment. She had more than a few questions left. However, all of them were of a far more personal nature. She mulled it over in her head. Sarah might still be the best source for this.

"Uh, I had one or two, but they're not really of an Agency nature. They're more…um…"

Sarah was surprised to hear the stoic Alex Forrest hem and haw concerning a question. Suddenly she figured out why, and it made her grin. "Are the questions more of the 'just between us ladies' variety?"

Alex laughed. "Yes, exactly. I'm sorry. I don't mean to put you on the spot like that about one of your friends."

Sarah gave a little laugh, too. "I figured you might call me someday and ask questions about what I thought of Jimmy as…well, not an agent."

"You did?"

Now it was Sarah's turn to hesitate. "OK, it's confession time. We had to go back up to Jimmy's room in Las Vegas because Chuck dropped something. And…"

Alex's eyes widened. "Oh, my God. You didn't…"

"It was a little hard not to hear you. Either Jimmy is really good in bed, or you don't realize how loud you are when you have sex."

Alex was turning beet red. "That is so embarrassing."

"Why is that so embarrassing? You had sex. In spite of our prior feelings about you before Las Vegas, we didn't think you were a robot."

That tingling feeling Alex had earlier while reading Jimmy's file returned with a vengeance. "Well, let me tell you. It was definitely the former. That was an amazing Monday in the hotel. It felt like I made up for three years without non-mission sex in one afternoon."

Sarah started laughing hysterically. Alex pulled the phone away from her ear in surprise. "Why is that funny?"

Sarah calmed down. "I'm sorry. It's not that. It's just…I can't tell you. He'd kill me."

"What?"

"OK, but you have to PROMISE nobody finds out. Not Chuck, not Casey, and especially not Jimmy. This is just between you and me."

"I promise, Sarah. What is it?"

"You'll absolutely freak out. But Jimmy's first time probably could be described in the same way you just described that Monday afternoon. I mean, the EXACT same way. Do you know what I am saying?"

Alex's eyes threatened to bulge out of her head, and her jaw was scraping the floor. She was certain she could actually feel Sarah's huge grin bouncing off of cell towers across the country all the way from Burbank. "No way!"

"It was. You were the first to plant your flag on Mount Slade."

"That Monday in Vegas was his first time? Oh, my God. There's no way I would have known that if you didn't tell me. He performed like he had the entire Kama Sutra memorized!"

Sarah's grin was permanently set in stone. "He could very well have. From what we could tell, it certainly sounded like you two went all out."

"I know! I didn't just deflower him. I de-gardened him! I've been through more than my share of crazy things in the bedroom. Getting laryngitis from screaming too much was never one of them."

Sarah laughed. Yet another person discovered the benefits of Jimmy's services, albeit from a completely different department. "Well, we've gotten used to him pulling rabbits out of his hat. Anything he can do doesn't surprise us anymore. It sounds like you're quite smitten with him. You're lucky."

Alex stammered at that thought. "What? No, I can't get into a relationship with him. It's impossible."

"Why not? He's handsome, intelligent, courageous, funny, and apparently he's great in bed. No offense, Alex, but don't you think your standards are a bit too high if you don't think Jimmy's a great catch?"

Alex was starting to feel a bit of a cold shiver. "It's not that. I just can't…It's a personal thing. I can't have a relationship with anybody. I can't have anybody be that close."

"OK, I'll respect your wishes. But I should warn you he's the worst person to work with if you want to keep your distance. He'll get in. Worst of all, he won't even know he's gotten in. He just does. That's what happened to me."

"With Chuck?"

"Jimmy, too."

"Wait. Do you mean…"

"I don't mean with Jimmy in the romantic sense. But there is something about the guy. Let me ask you this. Have you ever treated an asset as if they were your partner?"

"Never. It would be too dangerous. It's crazy."

"I thought that, too. Jimmy didn't work well as an asset. He was very knowledgeable, like Chuck. But when I started treating him like a partner instead, it made all of the difference. He kept getting better and better, and this was before he trained even one day. Other than Chuck and Casey, I've never worked with anybody so valiant. He'll go the grave for you. You better be prepared for him. He'll get you when you least expect it."

Alex sat back on the couch. Suddenly she realized Beckman was right to be concerned about the two working together. But Alex figured it was simply a clash of styles that concerned Beckman. She had to proceed carefully. She would lay out the ground rules with him. Most agents appreciated candor from their partners, and she hoped Jimmy would be the same way.

"Thank you for all of your help, Sarah. I'll try to return him nice and clean with a full tank of gas when I'm done with him."

Sarah laughed. "Not a problem, Alex. Good luck to you."

"And you too, Sarah. Goodbye."

Alex checked the time. 4:30 PM. She decided to go online and check the weather in Chicago and New York. She wanted to get a better idea of what time Jimmy would arrive tonight. No doubt he would be a bit tired from the flight, so she decided to hold off talking business until tomorrow. Other activities would take place tonight. She smiled at the thought, and that tingling sensation returned.

_**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
November 7, 2010  
7:00 AM EST**_

Alex stirred in the bed. She was having one extremely dirty dream right now. At least she thought she was. Whatever was going on, it was about to send her over the edge. She opened her eyes, and her breathing continued to come fast and intensely. She wasn't dreaming; she really was about to go over the edge. Either she was having a panic attack, or…

She glanced under the sheets. Suddenly she wished it was a panic attack. As much as she appreciated what he was doing…and she was mere seconds away from really appreciating it…this was an awkward moment that had to be stopped right now.

She closed her thighs gently, in spite of her entire body protesting that action, and she pulled him up to her.

"What were you doing, Roger?" she breathlessly whispered, now wishing she hadn't stopped him.

He gave her an annoyed expression. "Checking if the sheets were Egyptian cotton. What do you think I was doing?"

Her breathing returned to normal. "Not that that wasn't good. It was amazing. But Roger, we have to establish the ground rules on how this works. Doing that to me first thing in the morning to wake me up implies intimacy. We don't have that, and I don't want that. We can have only two types of relationships: professional and sexual. I requested to work with you because you're very talented in the field. And obviously you're damn good in the bedroom, too."

Roger propped himself up on his arm and started counting something on his hand. Alex was confused.

"What are you doing?"

"Counting the number of times I've seen this on some lame-ass sitcom," Roger replied with more than a little sarcasm.

"I'm serious! That's all we are. I don't want a relationship beyond that. We help each other out, and we get each other off. That's it."

"Fine." This time, Roger tried to keep the acidity out of his response, but Alex knew he wasn't 100% pleased with it. Truthfully, neither was she.

"Thank you." She glanced at the clock on the nightstand next to her. "OK, it's 8 AM. Let's shower and get dressed. And I mean shower separately, so don't get any ideas."

"It's 7 AM."

Alex bolted up slightly in the bed. "7 AM?" She checked the time on her mobile phone. "You're right. Why is the clock radio wrong?"

"Daylight savings time ended last night."

"Oh, I forgot. Well, if we have an extra hour…."

Her eyes flickered at him with a serious come hither expression that could get men who were 200 miles away erect. She pulled him on top of her. She then pushed down gently on his shoulders and spread her legs as far apart as she could.

"Don't forget my breasts on the way down. I love what your lips do to them. And licking along my inner thigh drives me wild, but you already know that."

He didn't budge, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She was a little confused.

"What? You're next. I promise."

"Somehow I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick here."

Alex smiled. She got close to his face and flitted the tip of her tongue against his lips.

"First of all," she whispered huskily, sliding her hand down his body. "No one would ever use the terms 'short' or 'stick' when describing you. Second of all, you know I'm good at that. You can't argue that point. You've been the benefactor several times of my ministrations. We both know you enjoy that."

Jimmy gave a playful growl. "Betrayed by biology again."

Alex gave a triumphant grin. "And that's one of the best things about being a woman. We can fake it, and you can't."

She took his face in her hands and started guiding it to her breasts. He looked at her with a slightly hurt expression. Alex pulled his face back so it was level with hers.

"If I had faked it with you, would I want you doing this right now?"

Jimmy smiled. "Good point."

"Exactly." She gave him a teasing kiss, tickling his tongue and pulled his face to her breasts. She lay back down in the bed to enjoy this last hour to the fullest before the work day started.

_**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
November 7, 2010  
8:10 AM EST**_

If nothing else, Jimmy had manners. He allowed Alex to shower first. It was the one location where Alex Forrest could relax…assuming someone didn't try to attack her in there. It was a good place to collect her thoughts, plan her day, or get a bad mission off of her mind. Admittedly, this was as relaxed as she had been in a while. She had tried the many methods of relaxation the CIA preached to its agents: massages, yoga, Pilates, running, and swimming. They worked to varying degrees of success, and they certainly kept her well-toned. She was a few years on the wrong side of 30, although her body looked better now than it did at 21. But in the end, a good roll in the sack with someone hot that knew what they were doing and satisfied her desires was still the best way to relieve stress. That was certainly the case last night.

She still couldn't believe what Sarah told her yesterday. She was the one to take Jimmy's virginity. He never acted awkward or overly eager about it. He gave no indication whatsoever on that Monday in Las Vegas that he never had sex before. If anything, he acted like he had sex almost every day. How in the hell did he make it all the way to 40 without getting any? Her first sexual encounter was incredibly awkward. Both of them were 16 and they really liked each other. They did it in the back of his father's minivan. It hurt like hell, and he rushed through it like every awkward teenager story ever written. She never told her father, who would have almost certainly gone insane, as any policeman father would. Fortunately, none of the boy's body parts were ever shot off.

There was no question last night was a lot of fun, perhaps even more fun than Las Vegas, because the unfamiliarity was gone, and each of them knew what the other liked. Her tastes, naturally, were a bit more varied than his because of the experience factor, but he did anything she wanted. And he did it well. She could get used to someone like him. Sarah was right: empirically, Jimmy was quite a catch.

She closed her eyes as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair, and the hot water on her shoulders and back accentuated the feeling on her body her thoughts were giving her right now. Her hands involuntarily slid down her body, savoring the sensations of being in bed with Jimmy, their bodies fused together as each tried to heighten the pleasure for the other with their lips, their touch, their entire being. It was something she was beginning to crave. She felt a fire burning inside her she hadn't felt since…

"Son of a bitch!" Alex practically screamed the curse in rage and threw the hotel-provided bottle of conditioner against the far wall of the shower.

"Dammit! Get it together, Alex!" She berated herself in that shower, not even caring if Jimmy heard it outside. "Don't let him get in your kitchen. Walker warned you about this. He's just another guy. You work with him. You fuck him. But that's all. OK? He's just a toy to play with. You let him inside your body, but you don't let him inside your head, and you sure as hell don't let him inside your heart!"

She quickly exited the shower and dried herself off. Throwing a robe on, she returned to the bedroom. Jimmy had a look of concern on his face.

"Everything OK? I thought I heard some shouting in there."

Forrest was grateful she was excellent at putting on an impassive expression. She wore it now. "Everything is good. The shower is all yours."

He gave a slight smile as he went past her into the bathroom. She put her clothes on a bit more forcefully than she normally did. She hated these feelings that kept coming up. She had the love of her life already. 19 terrorists took that away from her, along with 3,000 other people and a feeling of security in this country. She wasn't entitled to another love. Her life now was to make sure it never happened again to someone else. It was time to move on.

She turned on her laptop and opened the file folders near the desk in the suite. She would go over planning with Jimmy for how to get into Williams & Lowe, LLC. Although Jimmy would be primarily responsible for hacking their systems and getting the information, she would almost certainly be needed to help him get inside. That would be the hard part.

Fifteen minutes had passed. Jimmy walked to the desk behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. She recoiled at the touch.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you didn't like that. Which would be a little odd given, well…you know…"

Forrest glared at him for a moment but then relaxed her posture. He didn't mean any harm. But a little reminder of the ground rules was necessary.

"OK, Roger. It's work time now. That means no more sex. No more kissing, no more groping, we wear clothing in bed, and if we're holding hands, it better be because you're trying to prevent me from plummeting to my death."

Jimmy put his hands up in surrender. "I got that the first 10 times you said it."

Alex exhaled deeply. She was sniping at him without good cause. Was it his fault she didn't want to get close to anybody? Was it his fault that she requested him without realizing her feelings for him were starting to go beyond just great sex? She needed the cold-hearted bitch back that helped her survive up until now, but she also needed to temper that with the fact that she couldn't work alone on this.

_Let him do his job, Alex. That's what he's here for. You draw the main plans, and he'll cover the details. You have to work together. That's the only way you're going to stop this potential attack._

She stood up and gestured for him to sit at the laptop. "The file next to the laptop will contain some basic information about Williams and Lowe, LLC. Addresses, corporate structure, major clients, and so on. Dig in and see what else you can get off of their systems from here. If we can't get the information we need, perhaps we can use the computers at the CIA office in North Jersey. But we'd have to wait a couple of hours before we could get in. I'm going to call downstairs and have them send up some breakfast. Is there anything you want in particular?"

"Some juice is fine. If they have some bread and jam, and an apple or pear. That sort of thing."

Alex smiled. A guy built like a pro football player eating that kind of breakfast? Then again, it's probably how he got that build in the first place. Perhaps Jimmy was a former junk food junkie who learned the error of his ways. "That actually sounds good. They might have a continental breakfast tray. I'll order it."

"Thank you."

Alex called room service while Jimmy started his research on the computer. She decided to hang back for a few minutes and give him some breathing room. She could see his shoulders hunch up, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Jimmy was all business now. She sometimes got the same posture when working absorbedly at a computer. It was clear he wanted to get all of the information here while they were still in the hotel. That would be easier to deal with, as local CIA offices didn't appreciate non-local agents on their turf.

There was a knock on the door. Alex checked the peephole while holding her gun behind her back. She checked the server against the list of pictures in a small booklet and verified he was legitimate. She opened the door and pulled the cart in herself. Signing the register, she took the tray, pushed the cart back to him, and quickly closed the door so the server wouldn't get a good view of the room, although the server took more than a long glance at her. She looked at her attire and didn't see anything that would warrant such a lascivious glance.

She put the tray down on the bed and grabbed an apple off of it. "Even dressed down on a Sunday morning, I get leered at. That's crazy."

Jimmy didn't look up from the computer. "Well, you do realize you're quite the head-turner, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. The other girls in high school used to hate me because I looked like this and still managed to be a tomboy. I was all-city in soccer and basketball."

This time, Jimmy looked up from the computer, raising an eyebrow. "You'll forgive me if I don't act surprised."

Alex smiled. What was the opposite of a backhanded compliment? A kind insult? She handed him the apple. "And if I were to guess, I would say you played football in high school. Based on your size, you were probably a lineman. And most likely a damn good one."

She noticed Jimmy turn back to the computer quickly, and his bemused expression disappeared in a heartbeat, replaced with something a bit more sullen. "Uh, yeah. 4 years."

"You don't like talking about your past."

"Not especially, no."

_That explains a few things_, Alex thought. The supposedly complete file on Jimmy that General Beckman gave her only indicated where he went to school and his actual age. After that, all of his information was only one year old, starting around the same time he ran into Bartowski, Walker, and Casey. The irony was not lost on her that she was someone who only wanted to remember those more innocent times back in high school and college, while Jimmy only started to live his life 12 months ago.

Even without the file, a clearer picture of Slade began to form in Alex's mind. Sarah told her about his negative self-image, and she recalled the talk they had in the hotel in Las Vegas that Monday, when he confessed that he had been alone for most of his life. Like her, there must have been something that happened in his past. Perhaps it was one event or a series of events. It was a common theme among many field agents. But it was clear that the Jimmy she knew must have been someone who had worked very hard to put his life back together from whatever tore it apart in the first place. Given what she's seen of him on the job, she had to admire that.

Behind Jimmy, Alex inwardly cursed herself. Clearly Sarah knew Jimmy very well. He was getting under her skin, and he wasn't even doing anything to make that happen. Alex had to get those thoughts out of her mind and get back on the case.

Fortunately for her, Jimmy would assist in that.

"OK, I've pulled up the personnel records, schematics of their network systems, and a very basic sketch of their corporate infrastructure."

"Good. Can we access any client accounts?"

"Unfortunately, not from here or the CIA office. All we'd get are encrypted files that would take at least two days to decipher. We'll have to get that information at the brokerage firm."

Forrest started reading the screen over Jimmy's shoulder. "According to the file, they have two permanent IT people on site, and they outsource the rest to a company on Water Street. We'll find where one of them lives, tranq them tonight, and go in as replacement IT people tomorrow."

Jimmy gave her a nervous look. "And what happens when he wakes up? The first thing he does is call the police. Plus, the two IT people have perfect attendance records. If one of them is missing, that'll raise a red flag right away."

Alex was getting a little annoyed about Jimmy trying to countermand her plan. "Do you have a better idea?"

Jimmy started looking over the surveillance footage of the office. The brokerage firm occupied the 30th, 31st, and 32nd floors of Chase Manhattan Plaza. He noticed something in one of the shots.

"Who's the redhead mistaking the office for a nightclub?"

Alex looked at the same image. "Obviously someone who doesn't follow strict business attire."

Jimmy checked her image against the personnel database. "She's not listed in their records."

"A temp, maybe? They wouldn't follow dress regulations so closely."

"Ah, good point." Jimmy checked the records of the temp agency Williams and Lowe used. "Right. Here she is. Kylie Scott. Born 1/15/87, Brooklyn, New York. Dropped out of high school. Went back two years later to get her G.E.D., and is currently taking night school classes to get a degree."

Jimmy cross-checked her file against databases from Homeland, the NSA, and the IRS. "Whew, bit of a party animal. Credit cards get swiped at certain clubs on Saturday and Sunday nights. Probably hangs out with industry people on Sundays to get the really good drink deals at the bars. I think we have our way in."

Alex gave him a weird look. "She's your way to get into the office?"

"Nope. She's your way to get into the office."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll replace her as a temp from the same agency. You get into the office, where you'll find someone's computer and drop a virus into the system. Their IT department will call for some extra hands, and I can sneak into their systems almost undetected while they try to restore everything. A little diversion will make it easier for me to poke around."

"And how do you plan to get her out of the office?"

"She'll be the one who gets the tranquilizer. I'll go to the bar tonight, get her to pick me up, and go back to her place. Once she's asleep, I'll knock her out for the rest of the day, drain the battery on her mobile phone, and kill the power on her clock radio. When she wakes up at the end of the day tomorrow, she'll just think she had too much fun the night before and it was bad luck she didn't charge her phone. She's probably not the type that is really helpful in an office environment until around midday Tuesdays, anyway."

Alex went over Jimmy's idea in her head. It was a far more complicated plan, but it also left fewer loose ends. Usually it was better to keep plans simple. However, she knew she could do what Jimmy suggested, and he had certainly proven himself capable enough to be granted some leeway. A little part of her was also curious to see Jimmy try to hit on someone in a bar.

"OK, we'll try it. We'll set up a camera and microphone on you, and I'll monitor you and give you any guidance if you need it."

"Uh, actually, I'll need you in the bar."

"What for?"

"Your job tonight will be to make sure I have no competition."

"And how do I do that?"

Jimmy's eyes widened a bit in surprise. He looked up and down her body and then gestured to it. "Really? Do you actually not know or are you just fishing for compliments?"

Alex looked up to the ceiling, a little annoyed with herself. She then smiled at Jimmy.

"Oh, right. I can take care of that easily for you. Of course, if you still want to throw a few compliments my way, I certainly won't stop you."

Jimmy raised an impish eyebrow. "Didn't I compliment you enough last night and this morning?"

Alex returned the expression in kind. "This is true. You complimented me until I couldn't take it anymore."

Alex walked back to the tray to pour some juice. Out of Jimmy's vision, she gritted her teeth, upset for letting the banter go on too long. Not only was she flirting with him, he was doing it right back to her.

_Professional, Alex. Keep it professional. You don't flirt with him, and he'll stop as well. He's a decent guy. He'll respect your boundaries if you set them. Work and sex, and that's it._

She glanced back at him. He was typing away at the computer, looking for more information.

_Work and sex, work and sex, work and sex._

She kept chanting that mantra in her mind. Hopefully, she could convince herself into believing that's all they'll have.


	3. Be Proud of Your Inabilities

_Hello again. I'm hoping to finish this story before Christmas, and it looks like I should pull that off. I have to take vacation days for the next two weeks. Otherwise they get lost at the end of the year. Use 'em or lose 'em, right?_

_A lot of people have said they like how the character of Alex Forrest has been expanded in this story. Clearly she is a very confident agent, perhaps even more than Sarah or Casey. Obviously there is some background to her character I added, as I think the events of your life dictate how you interact with others. As demonstrated by Jimmy, people can change. Sometimes you become a different person without even realizing it. The question is, will Alex let herself become more than her life of today?_

_As always, please leave reviews. By the way, there is a reference in the story to a very famous Eddie Murphy movie, but it's obscured a bit. Bonus points to whoever can figure out which movie and what the clue was to tip you off._

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_**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
November 7, 2010  
12:30 PM**_

Jimmy had the suite to himself now. Actually, he insisted Alex go relax for a while, given that he had a virus program to configure. He understood that this part of the mission was a one-man operation. Why should Alex sit around watching him type at the computer just because they were working together? They had a few items to obtain from the local CIA office once he was done setting up the virus she would drop into Williams and Lowe's servers the next morning, and then there would be a little reconnaissance work on Kylie Scott to see where she would go tonight. For the moment, he prepared for tomorrow, while Alex took a swim in the pool downstairs.

It still felt very weird. It had been just over a year since he woke up in a government medical facility with tubes running through him and several machines keeping him alive. It was all very Steve Austin in its way, minus the ugly orange track suit and the turtleneck sweaters. Obviously he was a different person now. He certainly hated himself a lot less. In his eyes, that was the one that stood out. He was still shy around others, but he was gaining in confidence more and more. The longer he went through training, the more they relied on him for help. And he kept delivering. Jimmy had so few moments in his life where people relied on him like the ones at Nellis did and none where he was recognized for it. But clearly Chuck and Sarah were right. He could do this job. He was starting to think he could be successful.

Of course, having two dazzling women want to rip his clothes off and make love to him in a span of 36 hours could also be considered something of an indication as to how far Jimmy had come.

He had to smile. Both Chuck and Sarah talked about the fact that he was starting to draw attention from women. They must have known Forrest was attracted to him. He sensed something odd about her behavior in Las Vegas, but he didn't give it much thought. Those thoughts went completely out of his head when Forrest tried to dump the failure of the mission in Las Vegas completely in his lap. But evidently things could change on a dime in this business. One moment Forrest was trying to end his new career before it got started. The next, she was pushing him up against the wall and trying to get him naked.

Six weeks later, they were attempting to stop a terrorist attack together. Détente indeed, as Karl Stromberg once said in a popular Bond film.

He was almost done setting up the program. Writing it wasn't that hard, as he had several CIA-designed viruses at his disposal. However, setting it up so it looked like Alex would be attempting to print a file took a bit of work. There had to be enough time for the virus to get into their system and for Alex to get away so none of the more tech-savvy workers at the firm could point the finger at her. From there, someone would likely put in the call to the IT firm on Water Street, and Jimmy would get to have his way with their servers. The most difficult part would be getting the data they require, as they really didn't know what to look for at this point, other than tracing the transfers they knew about.

Alex walked into the suite. Jimmy noticed the more pragmatic swimsuit she wore this time, as opposed to the red two-piece one she wore in Las Vegas. He really didn't think much about that bikini because he was so nervous wearing a swimsuit and having Sarah and Forrest in such proximity to him wearing almost nothing themselves. That wasn't something he ever remotely contemplated happening to him. He thought Alex saw right through his anxiety and was upset about it. It turned out she was angrier at herself for letting her guard down and enjoying being next to him.

Alex walked back into the bedroom, and Jimmy peeked a little too much at her long legs and tight form. He quickly darted his head around, rather vexed at his brief lapse in professionalism. She returned with the outfit she wore earlier in her hands.

"How was your swim?" Jimmy asked as he turned towards her.

Alex exhaled in frustration. "The first half-hour was not a problem. I needed the exercise. But then a few couples started to lounge around the pool, and I kept getting evil glances from the wives or girlfriends. I didn't do anything." She glanced down at her swimsuit. "This isn't even that attractive of an outfit. Are women really that petty and small-minded?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know. It seems like men get jealous of what other men have while women get jealous of the actual person. Let's face it: you're incredibly attractive. To some women, that's enough of an excuse."

She smiled. He was pretty good at paying a compliment to her within the realm of a conversation. "Maybe you're right. It just seems like a waste of time to me."

She took off the swimsuit. Jimmy immediately did an about-face and stared at the laptop. "Oops, sorry. I didn't know you were going to do that."

She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. She walked directly into his line of vision. "Really, Roger? Isn't it a little late for chivalry?" She gestured to her body. "I mean, last night you got to do a lot more to my body than just look. This shouldn't be fazing you right now."

"Well, I'm just trying to remain professional, like you wanted."

She shook her head and smiled. She quickly put her clothes on. "You're right. I did ask, and you're doing a good job of it. I'm sorry."

That was as boldfaced of a lie as she ever told. She wasn't even the tiniest bit sorry. She took her suit off in front of him on purpose. It served the pain in the ass right for waking her up like he did this morning. She would not yield to his performance between the sheets. He threw down the gauntlet. And once this mission was over, she would pick it up and screw him over and over with it. In the interim, a little tease to keep him off-balance would do the trick.

"How are you coming along on the virus program?"

"All set." Jimmy handed her a flash drive. "All you have to do is open the document that pops up and try to print it. When the light on the flash drive goes out, the virus is loaded. It may take a minute or two for that to happen, so the document will refuse to print once or twice to buy you some time. That will also be your excuse to use someone else's computer. Just make sure you pick someone who isn't too tech-smart; otherwise they may try to help you with it and discover the ruse. Pick someone you can distract so they don't think too much about your supposedly defective file."

"Right. A little bat of the eyelashes, show some skin, brush up against them accidentally on purpose, I've done it many times." Alex studied Jimmy for a moment. "Speaking of flirting, what's your plan for hitting on Kylie tonight?"

Jimmy paused for a moment. "Well, I walk up to her, get her to talk, a few drinks to loosen her up. What else is there?"

Given what Sarah told her, Jimmy's reply didn't surprise Alex. But it got her upset. "How many times have you actually done this?"

Even though he didn't move an inch, Alex could see her irritated tone was making Jimmy squirm a bit. She looked intently at him with a less-than-thrilled expression on her face.

Jimmy finally admitted the truth. "OK, never."

Alex continued to stare crossly at him. Suddenly Jimmy was just as upset.

"You knew that already, didn't you. Goddamn it. Sarah had no right to tell you about my private life."

"Don't blame her for this," Alex replied in an unyielding, brusque tone. "That's very important information for me to have. This isn't practice time anymore, Roger. Thousands of lives are potentially on the line, and if we're going to work together, then you can't hold any secrets about what you can and cannot do."

"Fine," was Jimmy's frustrated reply as he got up and walked away from the desk. "My entire life experience when it comes to women is limited to you. OK? It embarrasses the hell out of me. They even made a movie about it. Happy now?"

"Don't start that." Alex's voice grew a few degrees colder. "First of all, I'm upset because you didn't tell me, not because you've never done it before. You need to be honest with me about your abilities because I'm putting my trust in you to come through on this mission. Second of all, stop acting as if not being able to do something is a character flaw. It's like anything else in life. If you don't know it, you learn how to do it."

Alex went to the desk and picked up Jimmy's file. "Do you even realize that I had all of that information on you and still agreed to your plan? This isn't the file of some rookie agent on his second mission. What's in here is more impressive than most of the agents who have been with the CIA for over 30 years. Don't try to hide your weaknesses; fix them!"

She put down the file and walked to Jimmy, standing close to him. She put her hand on his arm, and her voice softened. "Look, you told me the best way you could pay back Chuck and Sarah for what they did for you is to put your trust in someone else. I requested you because I knew you had the talent to do this. What I'm asking you now is to trust me as your partner. Whatever you don't know, I'll help you. Just put your faith in me. OK?"

Jimmy looked at the ground, upset with himself for not being honest with Alex. She gently lifted his chin up and looked straight into his eyes.

"OK?"

He nodded. Alex continued to gaze into his slate blue eyes, allowing a little bit of the world to slip away. She ran her hand along his cheek and tenderly placed her lips on his. Her kiss lingered a few seconds past the point of being merely chaste. Suddenly, she was the one looking down at the ground.

"Sorry. I broke my own rule, didn't I. Just pretend I didn't do that."

Jimmy smiled. "If you want me to pretend you didn't do that, your kissing will have to become a lot more atrocious."

Alex laughed. "Well, if I've already screwed up, I might as well get my money's worth." She gave him a much longer kiss this time, running her fingers through his hair as she tasted his strong and searing lips.

"OK, moment of weakness is over," Alex replied with a bit of amusement. "Back to work."

Alex led Jimmy over to the small bar in the corner of the suite. She placed Jimmy 10 feet from the bar and took a position at it. She turned to him.

"Now, approach the spot next to me and get the bartender's attention without being overt. Always have a smile but not a grin."

Jimmy began walking to the bar, but Alex stopped him.

"We better start this again."

Jimmy started looking around. "Did I already make a mistake? I didn't even reach the bar."

"Look at the way you're walking. Your shoulders are slumped and you're looking down. You'll never get anybody walking like that. Come here."

Alex took him to the full-length mirror in the bedroom and pointed to his image. "You have to sell this. That's lesson number one. You might think it's arrogant to strut around like a peacock, but that's what this job requires. You have to sell comfort and confidence in yourself. You have to know you're attractive, and you have to use it to your advantage. Fair or not, looks count. Don't be ashamed of it; put it to work."

"OK, I'll do it."

They walked back to their prior positions. This time, Jimmy approached the bar with his head up and shoulders squared.

"Bartender, Jack and Coke on the rocks, please," Jimmy replied to the air behind the bar.

"Good," Forrest said. "You kept your eyes up; your voice was authoritative but even. I was right: you can pick things up quickly. Next: how do you make initial contact with your mark?"

Jimmy thought about it for a moment. "Well, I'd assume a cheesy pickup line wouldn't be the best way to do it."

"Just smile, lock eyes, and give your name. That's all. Keep it simple. Try it."

Alex turned forward. Jimmy pretended to take his drink, sip it slowly, and looked at Alex. She turned to him, and he smiled, looking directly into her eyes.

"Hi, I'm Roger."

"Alex, nice to meet you."

"OK, how was that?"

"Not bad. You've got a very good voice. Don't force the smile, though. That's the toughest part. It has to be natural. Not too much, not too little. Practice it."

Jimmy shook his head. "This is a lot to remember. How does anybody meet anybody these days?"

"Some people are better at it than others. You have to have the right kind of personality."

"If I have to go through all of this, I must not have that."

"You have it. It's like I said: you just need to learn it. OK, where should your eyes be while you talk to her?"

"Locked on hers at all times." Jimmy brimmed with confidence thinking he finally got one right.

"No."

Jimmy was shocked, to say the least. "Where am I supposed to look? You already said not to look at the ground, and I sure as hell don't think I should be staring at her breasts all night."

"No, you don't understand. Most of the time, you stay locked on her eyes. But every now and again, glance up and down her body. Do it very quickly, only do it once every few minutes, and once she notices you doing it, you stop. Remember, she got dressed up to be noticed. You want her to catch you approving of her attire. Obviously you don't stare or gawk at her. You don't want to make her feel uncomfortable. Most importantly, find that one thing on her she's trying to emphasize and work a compliment into the conversation regarding it. If she decorates her hair, compliment her on the style. If she wears a miniskirt with heels, compliment the shoes. If she wears a lot of eyeliner or mascara, compliment her eyes."

"OK, what if she wears something low-cut?"

"Then tread VERY carefully."

Jimmy shot her a look. "Gee, you think?"

"Don't worry. Just play it by ear. How much physical contact should there be?"

Jimmy threw his hands up. "I haven't gotten one question right, so you might as well just give me the answer."

"Relax, will you? There's no set answer for this. Just make sure you don't contact her more than she contacts you. Let her dictate the pace. And obviously don't make any move she didn't make first."

"Sounds good. I think I'm starting to get this now."

"Then perhaps you should start drinking decaffeinated coffee, because I can actually see you shaking."

"I admit I'm a little nervous."

Alex tilted her head to the side. "A little nervous?"

"Well, maybe scared out of my mind."

She smiled. "This is why I wanted you to be honest with me from the beginning. We fix these problems now instead of letting them get us in trouble. Besides, between her party attitude and your looks, I'm guessing this will be much easier than you think. Just exude confidence and let your looks do all the work."

"OK, I'll try."

Alex didn't press the issue further. She had to admit it was rather disconcerting to see Jimmy have trepidations about being in a social situation, given that she had first-hand knowledge of how good he was at sexual intercourse. Most guys talked a good game, but that was all they had. Jimmy actually had a good game, but he had to be drawn out of his shell.

He was the first person she ever kissed in a non-agent capacity since John, at least the first guy where she initiated the kiss. She kissed as part of sex a few times outside of work, but those times were few and far between, and her date typically initiated it. Not once did she go past three dates with any guy. Perhaps one or two of them were of a high-enough standard where any woman would be thrilled to take it beyond the first few dates, but that couldn't be her. She had this life now. It was a stressful and lonely life, but it had to be done. Anything she wanted in life that wasn't part of this job was irrelevant.

It was starting to bother her. She felt like she was betraying the memory of John by developing feelings for Jimmy. She needed to create some space. She had hoped he would be successful in getting into Kylie's apartment and knocking her out for all of Monday. In a weird way, Jimmy sleeping with Kylie might help her get some distance from him. In her mind, he could be just another agent. He would develop the same Machiavellian attitude she reserved for this job. Whatever it took to complete the mission…sex, theft, killing…he would develop the same attitude as her. That would make things much simpler.

_**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
November 7, 2010  
8:30 PM**_

The rest of the day passed smoothly. A little research and surveillance on Kylie Scott gave Alex and Jimmy everything they would need for the evening's events. Jimmy proved his value once again in scanning and intercepting the ESN on Kylie's phone. She planned to meet friends at a bar on the Upper East Side at 9:30 PM, obviously ignoring the long subway ride from Brooklyn to Wall Street she would have to endure in the morning. Her conversations throughout the afternoon and early evening indicated someone who was stressed out from the combination of work and college classes and was planning to let loose tonight. She couldn't make Alex and Jimmy's job easier if she volunteered to take the next day off.

Jimmy showered first this time, as per Forrest's directions. As he got ready, she raided his wardrobe and picked out a combination of clothes that would work for the casual atmosphere of the bar. An indigo-colored shirt and black pants would be his choice of attire for the evening. Thankfully, his black hair was still short, and there were only so many ways of styling it. His backstory would be that he was an entertainment lawyer in town to give a speech tomorrow night to some potential investors. That figured to give him a few bonus points in Kylie's book.

He smoothed the shirt against his body, making sure it wasn't wrinkled or crooked. Alex emerged from the bathroom behind him. She had redone her hair to give it a fuller look and added a few highlights to make it look more like the hairstyle of someone in her mid-20's. She wore a tight red blouse unbuttoned enough to show ample cleavage. The blouse was an enticing combination with a black skirt that reached to mid-thigh. The four-inch black heels she wore made her long legs even longer and sexier, if that was even possible.

Alex saw her image in the mirror. "Not bad for 33. My Phys. Ed. teacher in high school was right. You start taking care of your body in college and your 20's and you'll keep it looking good much longer."

Jimmy stood there, unable to look away. "Could you answer me a question? Are my eyes looking anywhere north of your neck?"

Alex arched an eyebrow. "Not even close."

"OK, then. Those are REALLY nice shoes."

Alex laughed and sauntered over to Jimmy. "I wouldn't feel too bad. Women have that advantage." She traced a finger over his chest. "Social convention dictates that your best features remain clothed in a nightclub." She punctuated her last point by running her thigh back and forth against Jimmy's pelvic area.

He gave a gentle growl. "You do like to tease, don't you."

She flicked her tongue at his lips. "Only because I know it annoys you. I have many ways of getting men in whatever mood I want them to be. And obviously keeping you on edge works nicely."

"Uh-huh," he replied icily, a little annoyed that she was messing with him right before the mission started. He went to put on his shoes.

"Wait." Alex walked over to the dresser and took two bottles out of a small bag. The bottles looked alike. One of them had a black cap; the other cap was red.

"What are those?" Jimmy asked.

"Courtesy of the CIA." Alex handed him the bottle with the black cap. "It's a cologne that has special pheromone enhancers to seal the deal with any woman."

"Oh, I've seen those in the stores."

"Well, this particular brand won't be showing up in Macy's anytime soon. It's about 20 times as powerful. Don't use too much."

"Once on each side of the neck behind the ear and then on the wrists?"

"Actually, just rub your wrists against the spots on your neck, and that should be more than enough."

"OK." Jimmy gave one spritz to each side of his neck and got it on his wrists as Alex directed. The bottle she used had an applicator on the seal she rubbed in the same two spots on her neck and wrists and in the valley between her breasts.

"Come here one second." Jimmy walked over, and Alex held onto him for balance as she ran the applicator along her legs.

"How long does it last?" Jimmy asked, suddenly feeling a bit different.

"Three…maybe 4…hours," Alex replied in the same vibe. She unconsciously inched closer to him.

"Does it…really work?" Jimmy's cheek started running along her hair, and she nestled herself in the crook of his neck. Both of them suddenly backed away and shook their heads clear.

"Yeah, I'd say it works." Forrest hoped her cheeks didn't look as flushed as they felt.

"Works great."

"Clearly they didn't warn you about that during your training. If you know someone is wearing it, you can will yourself away from it."

"True. This stuff is meant for other people tonight." Jimmy hands her an earpiece. "OK, you should be good to go. I adjusted these to filter out ambient noise, since I assume it'll be pretty loud in the bar with the music."

"Very good. You look great. Are you ready to go?"

Jimmy smiled. "Let's do this."

_**J.T. Lancer's Tavern, Upper East Side  
November 7, 2010  
10:00 PM**_

Alex exited the taxi in front of the tavern. Jimmy had exited the taxi two blocks further south so they wouldn't arrive at the same time. She entered the bar and immediately started looking around. Kylie was sitting alone on a barstool on one side of the bar, appearing as if she was a few drinks into her evening. If she was meeting friends, they hadn't arrived yet. About three dozen patrons were in the bar, with men outnumbering women by almost a 4 to 1 margin. Several of the men in the bar immediately took notice of Alex as she walked in. She pretended to look at a copy of _The Village Voice_ near the entrance of the bar.

"She's here, Roger," she said quietly into her microphone. "Come on over."

"Got it."

Alex walked to an unoccupied barstool, feeling the gaze of at least a dozen men on her as she ordered a shot of whiskey. She took it down in one gulp and placed a $20 on the bar. The bartender immediately refilled it, and Alex leaned forward to get the shotglass on purpose to let her cleavage get her the VIP treatment the rest of the night from the above average-looking bartender. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw a couple of the braver men in the crowd already moving to her side of the bar.

Jimmy walked into the bar and surveyed the scene. Alex was doing her job to perfection. Few of the male patrons were paying attention to the other 7 women in the bar, and none of those women looked too pleased. That is, until they looked at the door and saw Jimmy standing there. Suddenly their nights got a little more pleasant. Jimmy walked to the bar near Kylie with his eyes focused on getting a drink. He was trying to play it cool and not seem over-eager to make contact with her. The bartender came up to him, and he ordered a Jack Daniels and Diet Coke.

Kylie's fourth drink was the cure to any shyness she might have had. "Hi there."

Jimmy turned to her. "Good evening." He wasn't sure if the smile he put on was natural, but Kylie seemed to swoon at his voice alone. Alex was right: this would be a layup.

"I'm Kylie," she replied, holding out her hand. Jimmy shook it gently, and she decided not to let him have it back.

"I'm Roger." The bartender came up with his drink and another for Kylie. Jimmy gave him $30 for both drinks and told him to keep the change. The bartender thanked him.

"Wow, you are really generous. And thank you for the drink," Kylie answered, trying to let her green eyes do the talking for her. "So, where are you from? What do you do? Are you always this hot?"

Jimmy was a bit surprised at how forward she was, but he kept his expression unchanged. "I'm originally from St. Louis, but I live in L.A. now. I'm an entertainment lawyer, and usually I'm this hot."

That appeared to be the magic combination Kylie wanted. Her finger intertwined itself with a belt loop on Jimmy pants, and she pulled him closer. "If you work in Hollywood, why are you in New York?"

Jimmy had that answer prepared. He gently traced his finger on the back of her hand, hoping it would indicate interest. "I'm in town to do a presentation for a few potential clients who are interested in investing in a restaurant."

Across the bar, Alex was on autopilot as a group of men were now paying her way through the night. Making friends with the bartender in a situation like this was crucial so nobody with vulgar intent would give her a spiked drink. Truthfully, the bartender was cute enough to take back to the hotel, but this was a work night. Well, she might give him a little play if he was amenable to it. She turned on the barstool and crossed her legs, thus giving the guys a free show, which they appreciated.

Apart from making sure no other men were approaching Jimmy, she kept her attention on the ones in front of her, just in case one of them tried to be more lascivious than smart. Even though the alcohol was doing most of the work, Alex was impressed that Jimmy was playing it exactly as she told him. The hook could not be working better. That made her job easier tonight. She wouldn't have to run block for him with a bunch of horny, overaggressive morons much longer.

"Oooh, who are your clients? Brad and Angelina? Beyonce? Jeter?" Kylie had difficulty trying to stay on the barstool.

"Ah, sorry," Jimmy replied in a low, smooth voice that was driving Kylie insane. "Attorney-client privilege. Nothing personal. But they are pretty famous. Very nice, too. I was a bit surprised they would be so nice to me, but I guess I bring that out in people."

"Mmmmm, you certainly do, baby." Kylie pulled Jimmy down to her and kissed him hard. She slid her legs on either side of him and held him in place as her hands roamed all over his body. Jimmy gently put his hands on her side, hoping that she would find it acceptable contact. She decided that his hands should be under her miniskirt and on her ass instead. He gave it a gentle squeeze as he teased her tongue. She reacted by grinding hungrily against his hips.

"Oooh, let's go to your hotel, Roger," she hotly whispered in his ear, emphasizing her point by licking it.

"Oops, it'll have to be your place. My partner at the firm is in the room, and he's probably asleep by now. He's the responsible family man on our team, and I'm the one who wines and dines the clients."

"OK, no problem. Let's get a taxi." She gave him one last session of her tongue against his in their mouths and she dragged him outside.

Alex watched the two of them leave. _She'll be in for an interesting evening_, Alex thought. Fortunately for her, watching Jimmy walk out of the bar to seduce a woman…or get seduced, based on Kylie's aggressiveness …was helping her settle her internal conflict about developing feelings for Jimmy. He was a consummate professional. She just had to keep that image in her head, and she would be able to keep that distance from him.

"Boys, it's been fun, but I have an early day tomorrow. Thank you for the drinks."

"Are you sure I can't escort you home, honey?" One of the drunker leeches wasn't ready to give up.

Alex gave a little look towards him. "Sorry, baby. Time for me to go."

"I can make your night worthwhile if you stay." His hand caressed Alex's thigh and proceeded upward. Her hand shot out and twisted his hand around and backward. He screamed in pain.

"I'm sure." Alex slid off the barstool, and the men surrounding her cleared a path. She walked out of the bar, her hips giving them one last tease as she exited the bar. She took a taxi back to the hotel.

**_Brooklyn Heights, NYC  
November 7, 2010  
11:15 PM_**

Jimmy and Kylie exited the taxi, and she immediately continued the kissing session she started in the car on the way to her apartment.

"Wait right here."

She quickly ran into the convenience store on the ground level of her apartment. After a minute, she emerged with two bags. She pulled a small bottle of whiskey out of the one bag and opened it. She took a healthy swig and handed the bottle to Jimmy.

"Whoah! That is good stuff." She was starting to stumble a bit, but she was clearly not feeling any pain. Jimmy caught her to keep her standing straight. She held onto him and started making out with him again.

"OK, so what do you feel like doing now?" Jimmy asked and she laughed hysterically.

She pulled him towards the apartment entrance. "Oh, you just know what I want to do with you. And we're going to do it a lot. At least 12 times, because I think that's the amount of condoms that are in this box." She unlocked the door and started walking up the stairs. Jimmy followed a couple of steps behind. She turned to him on the stairs, stumbling a bit, and flipped her skirt at him. Her speech was slurred.

"I am so gonna take you upstairs, then I'm gonna get naked, and I'll pull your pants off…and then…I'm gonna suck on your big, hard…"

Her head started spinning, she lost her balance, and she fell onto Jimmy. He fell backwards and slid down the stairs with Kylie in his arms. They landed at the bottom, and he banged his head against the tile floor. He looked down at Kylie, who was completely passed out on top of him.

"Gee, I'll never find out what the big, hard thing she wanted to suck on was," Jimmy said with considerable acidity in his voice.

He carefully extracted himself from under Kylie. He put the whiskey bottle and condoms in his coat pocket. Lifting Kylie into his arms, he carried her up the stairs. Fishing her keys out of her purse, he opened the door and walked into the apartment. He placed her gently on the bed and set about to his tasks. He took an electronic device out of his coat and attached it to her phone. While it drained the battery, he unplugged her clock radio and carefully removed her clothes to make it look like they did have sex. He took a small needle and injected her with the tranquilizer. He plugged the clock radio back in, and the time flashed 12:00 AM. He unplugged her mobile phone, and it showed the battery down to 2%. He checked her pulse and breathing to make sure everything was still normal. He started to head for the door, but he thought of two last things to sell the great evening she would never remember. He opened the box of condoms and ripped the wrappers off 7 of them. He threw the wrappers into the wastebasket next to the bed and went into the bathroom. He flushed the condoms down the toilet and left the toilet seat up, as most men would likely forget to show women that courtesy. He walked back to Kylie's sleeping form.

"Enjoy your day off," he whispered.

He exited the apartment and walked outside. Forrest was waiting for him in a government-issue car. As he slid into the passenger seat, she looked at his disheveled appearance, trying not to crack up.

"Hmmm, I remember you lasting a lot longer last night," she teased.

"Oh, leave me alone. She passed out on the stairwell and I took a header down a flight of stairs."

"She didn't get hurt or anything, did she?"

Jimmy shot Alex an evil look. "No, thankfully I was there to play the role of airbag."

"Well, don't expect too much sympathy from me. I've had to do some stuff in the bedroom that was 100 times nastier than falling down a flight of stairs."

Jimmy held the back of his head and checked for a bump or a cut. "At any other time, I might actually find that fascinating."

"I hope you didn't actually injure yourself. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yeah, but at least hacking computers is my wheelhouse. This whole seduction thing is going to take a lot of work on my part."

"Oh, stop. You did fine. Your job might have been easier tonight because she was plowed, but you did everything correctly. I saw you across the bar. The other ladies in there were not happy when you didn't choose them."

Jimmy turned to her and smirked. "What, do you want me to try again with some other woman in that bar?"

She laughed. "I think you should quit while you're ahead."

Jimmy was starting to get a headache from a combination of alcohol and the fall down the stairs. "No argument from me tonight."

They drove back to their hotel. Their mission was accomplished. Unfortunately, Jimmy just made it harder for Alex to hate him. His first attempt at seduction was too funny for that.

_**Williams and Lowe, LLC  
November 8, 2010  
8:30 AM**_

Alex walked into the brokerage firm on the 32nd floor with a well-practiced professional demeanor. One of the advantages of looking how she did was that it allowed her to blend into more places. She could look like she belonged at a seedy strip club one day and the boardroom of a Fortune 500 company the next. Not all agents could get away with that. She was quite proud of it, and it served her very well today.

"Miss Grayson? It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Angela, I'm the office manager here."

The office manager was fairly pleasant, but that may have been because the temp agency called early. At least, Jimmy called pretending to be the temp agency. He apologized for Kylie being sick today and told them a replacement temp was being sent right away.

"Thank you, Angela. You can call me Deborah."

"Are you good with searching and replacing text in a word processor, Deborah?"

"I'm fairly experienced in it," Alex replied, which was actually true.

Angela handed her a list of documents and a booklet. "The list of files on this paper are legal agreements with our clients that have to be updated for 2011. Go through, use the booklet to find the correct lines of text, and replace what was in the file with what the booklet says. If you have any questions, call me on extension 6682. Thank you for helping us out."

"No problem," Alex replied pleasantly. She took a seat at an empty desk and started to look for the files Angela gave her. After 30 minutes, she picked up the phone and pretended to talk on it.

"Roger, are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I have the IT firm's phones accessed. I'm keeping an ear out for any call from Williams and Lowe."

"Very good. I'll drop the virus in a few minutes."

Alex went back to working on the documents she was asked to complete. She carefully scanned the room to find someone who might let her use their computer. In the far corner, she spotted a fortysomething man typing away slowly at his computer. He had a depressed look on his face, and he had the posture of someone who didn't do much besides work and sleep. She checked the ring finger on his left hand. There was no ring, nor did it look like there ever was one.

_Someone needs me to make their day_, she thought. She removed the pin holding her hair up and shook it free. She fixed her blouse so that it would open more depending on how she positioned herself. She walked towards the man with an innocent air about her. She ran the flash drive between her fingers.

"I'm really sorry to bother you, but I have to get this document printed for the manager right away, and I can't seem to print from my computer. Would it be OK if I use your computer? I promise, I won't take long."

His eyes widened a bit. Attracting the drunks in the bar last night was more difficult. "S-sure. No problem."

Alex smiled sweetly at him and moved around to his side of the desk. She bent down to the computer underneath the desk and inserted the flash drive, angling her body so the man got a free show and didn't pay attention to what she was doing. The document popped up like Jimmy had told her. She opened it up and hit CTRL-P to print it.

"Are you a Giants fan or a Jets fan?" She leaned forward to check if the flash drive was working. The light on the drive flickered on and off in a steady pattern. She repositioned her foot, which forced her skirt to ride up further.

"Um…Giants." He was stammering his questions. She had him under her control.

"Oops, it didn't print. Let me try again." She reached forward to print it again, and her breast "accidentally" brushed against his knee. "Have you been to the new stadium yet?"

"N-no. Not yet." The man was very nervous now. She was starting to wonder if anybody as good looking as her had ever been within 10 miles of this guy. She almost felt sorry for him.

The light on the flash drive went out. She removed the drive and stood up. She pretended to stumble and held onto his shoulder to steady herself and give him a final pick-me-up. "Oh, thank you. Very strong shoulders. Thanks for your help." She flashed him one final smile before returning to her desk.

She sat down and pretended to talk on the phone again. "Roger, the virus is implanted."

"Got it. It should be 10 minutes, give or take, before the calls start. Just blend in until I get there, and hopefully we can both slip out by lunch."

Alex went back to typing on the computer. After a few minutes, some cursing and yelling started to emanate from the office. She pretended to do the same thing.

"Is your computer acting up?" The person next to her asked with considerable irritation.

"Yes it is. What's going on?"

"I don't know. Some idiot must have opened an email with a virus or something."

"Is there anybody we can call?" Alex asked innocently.

"I'm sure the IT department has already been called. Hopefully they'll fix it quickly."

"Alex, the IT people down here just called for help, and I intercepted the call. I'll be there in 5 minutes," Jimmy reported over Alex's earpiece.

Alex picked up her phone. "OK. Proceed carefully."

On the ground floor, Jimmy entered the building and flashed his badge. The security guard on the ground floor was apparently used to the IT firm being here since he buzzed Jimmy straight through. Jimmy took the elevator to the 30th floor.

Jimmy quickly entered the server room for Williams and Lowe. "Any idea what kind of virus you have?"

"We're not sure," replied the harried young tech. "It's affecting all our servers."

"OK, I'll take a look." Jimmy walked over to the computer and started typing away. The tech walked up behind him and looked over his shoulder at the monitor. Jimmy turned to him, looking rather irked.

"Hey kid, do you think anybody looked over Einstein's shoulder while he wrote in his journals?"

The tech backed away. "I'm sorry."

"No problem. I'll get this thing fixed, and everybody can keep their jobs."

The tech moved further away. Jimmy bypassed the virus and got into the client database. He searched for the accounts.

10 men walked into the lobby of the building. The two in the lead looked around in the lobby to see if anybody else was around. They pulled out guns with silencers and shot the two guards sitting at the desk. One of the men reached behind the desk and opened the security gate for the others to pass through. They got on the elevator. The elevator ascended to the 30th floor.

Jimmy downloaded the information from the bank transfers onto a flash drive. Looking quickly through the other client accounts, he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

"Alex, something isn't right. There are only three files that are amiss. They have different account numbers, and each is attached to different companies in Manhattan. Other than that, I can't find anything out of the ordinary."

"How long would it take to download the whole database?"

"30, maybe 40 minutes?"

"OK, we'll have to take the whole thing and have the analysts in Langley have a look. Make it quick."

She heard no response except for what sounded like a silencer on a gun. Her eyes widened in fear. She got up from her desk and slowly exited the office on the 32nd floor.

Downstairs, the tech fell forward with blood coming out of his chest. Two men from downstairs faced Jimmy with their guns drawn. One of them spoke with a thick Middle Eastern accent.

"You did not think we monitor the computers here?"

Jimmy rose slowly. He kept his voice low.

"Aaah, hell."


	4. Number 4 with a Smile

_Well, I hope everybody enjoyed this story. This is the final chapter. It's a very long chapter, and it is very action-packed. Special thanks to Snickrz, Jimmy144, DLK, Jinxed97, and everybody else who reviewed this story. Not an easy thing to read through long chapters that don't highlight our favorite nerd and CIA agent. But this story started to take on a life of its own. I didn't expect the ideas would come to me so easily when pairing Alex and Jimmy together. If you think I should write another one with the two of them (I have an idea that would tie this story to my series finale), just let me know._

_Take care, leave reviews, and have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2010._

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_**Williams and Lowe, LLC  
November 8, 2010  
10:30 AM**_

Alex slipped out of the office and found the stairwell. As she descended the two flights of stairs to the 30th floor, she took her gun out and attached a silencer. She spotted someone in the stairwell keeping watch with an automatic weapon. She aimed and fired. The man slumped against the wall and fell. She pulled his body away from the door and carefully opened it. She peeked inside to find the hallway clear. She proceeded carefully down the corridor to the server room.

One of the two men who cornered Jimmy closed the door to the server room while the other approached him. He searched Jimmy and removed his gun. He stood behind Jimmy with his own weapon drawn. Jimmy quietly moved to block the man's view of the flash drive and warily kicked the backpack he was carrying under the desk.

"Who are you?" the first man asked.

"Who do you want me to be, baby?" Jimmy replied with an effeminate voice and winked at him. The second man hit him in the back of the head with his pistol. Jimmy turned around in annoyance.

"Asshole. I hope your 72 virgins all look like Ernest Borgnine."

"Again, who are you?" the first man repeated his question with more force.

"Yo, Mujibur, do you honestly think I'm going to tell you that? It won't happen, so you might as well have Sirajul hit me again."

The man behind Jimmy hit him harder with his pistol. Jimmy was dazed but remained standing.

"I was KIDDING, Sirajul. Don't they have humor where you live? Christ, you two need to get laid worse than I do."

The first man cocked his gun. "You will not leave this room. Nobody is coming to help you."

Jimmy smirked. "You know, I was just thinking the same thing about you. And by the way, never say anything the bad guys would say in the movies. Do you know what always happens next?"

The door behind him flew open, and Alex Forrest stood there with a ferocious look on her face. Jimmy couldn't help but smile.

"Told you."

The man in front of Jimmy turned in surprise. Jimmy kicked backwards and landed a shot at the man behind him. Alex kicked out the gun of the first man and threw a haymaker at him. The man behind Jimmy tried to get up, but Jimmy landed two hard shots, and he went down again. Alex spun and connected the heel of her shoe with the head of the first man. He dropped to the floor and stopped moving.

"Great timing, boss," Jimmy said as he retrieved his gun and grabbed the flash drive and his backpack.

"Let's go," Alex motioned with her gun.

Alex and Jimmy bolted out of the server room and immediately had to dive out of the way of shots coming from the cross-hallway. Jimmy fired a shot down that hallway, and then rolled out into the hall, firing away as he did so. The man at the opposite end of the hall took two from Jimmy's gun and fell. They quickly got up and located the stairwell. Suddenly two more men emerged from the hallway and opened fire. They ducked behind the alcove separating the elevator bank from the rest of the hallway. They looked in the other direction to see two others in the hallway at the far end. Alex and Jimmy fired in opposite directions to keep them at bay. The stairwells were cut off from them.

Alex hit the "down" button on the elevator but got no response. "Shit, they thought of that."

Jimmy looked back and forth in the hallway. "By the way, thanks for finding me. That was really impressive."

Alex was a bit irritated. "What? You didn't think I could kick in a door?"

Jimmy fired another shot down the hall. "No, it was doing it in HEELS that was really impressive."

Alex shrugged. "What can I say? My legs are probably my best feature."

"I agree. I've been enjoying them all weekend myself."

She gave him an evil glance. "What? Are you saying there's something wrong with my face? Or my breasts?"

Jimmy was incredulous. "Really? We're in the middle of a firefight and you're trying to give me a _Cosmo_ quiz?"

Alex fired twice more down the hall. "I'm out. What about you?

Jimmy checked his clip. "Four left." He looked at the bank of elevators. "Wait, I may have a way out. But you won't like it."

"Why?"

"It means you'll have to be temporarily demoted to Vicki Vale. Cover me."

Jimmy handed Alex his gun. He took out a large knife and wedged the doors to the elevator. He stuck the knife underneath to hold the doors open. He quickly pulled a very long cord of climbing rope out of his backpack. Alex fired two shots and looked back to see what Jimmy was doing. She couldn't believe it.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind? I'm not doing that! That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen!"

"It's that or try to charge those pricks with only two bullets left."

"I'll take my chances."

Alex readied herself to attack two of the men at the end of the hall. Suddenly she heard something skittering on the ground behind her.

She turned in shock at the grenade the men at the opposite end just threw. The four terrorists ran.

"I changed my mind! I love the idea!"

Jimmy turned to see the grenade as well. He quickly clipped the rope to his belt and threw the other end of the line up the elevator shaft. The grappling hook caught around a steel support beam as Alex sprinted at him and leapt into his arms. He caught her and dove into the elevator shaft. The two plummeted down as the grenade detonated. The fireball from the blast missed them by only a few feet as they fell down the shaft. They held onto each other tightly as the rope finally ran out. It pulled taut, and it arrested their descent instantly.

"AAAAAAAGGGHHHH!" Jimmy screamed. Forrest looked at him in shock.

"What?"

"Worst atomic wedgie EVER!"

Alex groaned in disgust as she pushed them towards the elevator doors on the 7th floor. Jimmy reached forward to kick the door bracket and pulled them open. They stepped into the hallway on the 7th floor. Jimmy growled quietly in pain as he looked down at his belt, surprised it and the belt loops on his pants held.

"I guess that's why you shouldn't buy cheap clothing."

He looked at Alex with considerable worry. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm OK." Alex exhaled deeply. "And now I know why my first sex dream was with Indiana Jones."

Jimmy smirked. "I can see that. But just to warn you now, I really can't pull off a 5 o'clock shadow. It just isn't a good look for me."

"No problem, Roger." She used his shoulder for support as they walked to the stairwell. "No problem."

_**Ritz-Carlton Hotel  
November 8, 2010  
8:30 PM**_

Alex Forrest went to the very glamorous bar in the hotel looking for Jimmy. The remainder of the day was spent at the CIA office in North Jersey trying to pull any information they could off of the flash drive. Jimmy was able to obtain a third of the accounts on Williams and Lowe's servers before being interrupted. The local office did not find anything new, so the files were sent to Langley for immediate analysis. The CIA and NYPD went through the building floor by floor, but they were only able to find the two terrorists that captured Jimmy, still in the server room. They also found the terrorist Jimmy shot, the dead technician, and the lobby guards.

Alex saw Jimmy with his head down and a drink in front of him that looked untouched.

_He thinks he failed, _she thought._ Son of a bitch._

She was very uncomfortable with this. She wasn't used to being in the role of optimist, but it was obvious she would have play cheerleader. Pretty ironic, given how she thought the cheerleaders in school were the biggest snobs around. The mission wasn't a failure. She had been through this enough times to know missions always contained peaks and valleys. Sometimes you had to wait to make your next move. The problem was it gave you too much time to play Monday morning quarterback with what happened. It was obvious Jimmy was doing that right now, and clearly he felt he just threw an interception that went the other way for a touchdown.

She walked up and sat in the seat next to him. The bartender came up to her.

"Seven & Seven, please," she told the bartender as she placed the papers she was carrying on the bar and looked at Jimmy. "I just talked to Beckman. She has the computer jockeys working overtime to find something in those accounts that can help us. Hopefully, they'll come up with what we need to get back into this."

Jimmy exhaled deeply without looking up. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"You vouched for me with Beckman. Knowing her, she probably laughed in your face. You told her I could do the job, and I failed. We didn't get the information, and we barely escaped. You probably would have been better off with a veteran agent."

It was all Alex could do not to laugh at the insanity of what Jimmy said. "You really are out of your mind, do you know that? You think you failed? There IS NO failure here! We got as much information as we could, and we were able to get it to Langley. Maybe it would have been better if we were able to capture the entire cell, but this is what we got. Just be patient. You did great."

"I don't know. It just doesn't feel like it worked out."

"There's no such thing as a perfect mission. This is a results-driven business. Did last night go the way it was supposed to? No, but we still got into the brokerage firm. If things go one way, we get all of the data. If things go the other way, they're planning our funerals right now. We're not out of this yet. We're still in it. And you're a big reason why.

"I requested you because I knew you could do the job, and I was right. And to top it off, you just saved my ass for the second time in dramatic fashion. Do you really think I would consider that being a failure?"

Alex gently ran her fingers over Jimmy's cheek. "Look, Jim…Rog...screw it. I'm calling you Jimmy."

"Whatever makes you happy."

"Let me ask you a question, Jimmy. If there was another mission after this and it was your decision to choose your partner, would you choose me?"

Jimmy looked at her a moment. "Sure."

"Even if we never slept together? I mean, we didn't have sex this weekend, we didn't have it before, and there would be no chance of us having sex whatsoever. Would you still have picked me as a partner for your next mission?"

"The answer is still 'yes'."

Alex smiled. "Well, congratulations. You're officially the best partner I ever had."

That made Jimmy look up. "Huh?"

Alex's smile faded and she was silent for a moment. "I've never had anybody voluntarily be my partner on a mission. Everybody I ever worked with had to be assigned, usually against their will. They only ever gave me a female partner if the mission required two women, and there was always conflict. Almost all of the male partners I had thought they were studs and always tried to sleep with me. And I admit I took a few of them up on it. Sometimes I had to screw them to get them to cooperate. But not once did one of them ever want me as their partner again because they really wanted to work with me. The one or two who tried just wanted to get into my panties again. But you're better than any of them, and you never had ulterior motives. Having sex with you has been a wonderful bonus.

"I told you to trust me, right? So trust me now when I say you're an excellent agent and you've done a great job on this mission."

She gently cupped his chin and turned him to face her. "And thank you for saving my life again."

She gave him a gentle kiss. She pulled back and looked at him for a moment and went in for a longer kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair as he looked at her.

"Thanks. Although you do realize you broke your own rule again, right?"

"Uh-uh. Thanking someone for saving my life doesn't count. Oh by the way, you did thank me for saving you earlier, but didn't you forget something?"

Jimmy gave her a weird look. "Really? Am I bound by that rule now, or are you just looking for any excuse to kiss me?"

She grinned. "Just shut up and thank me properly, will you?"

He smiled in spite of himself. "Thank you for rescuing me." He kissed her as well, running his hands along her face. She took the opportunity to hold onto him to keep the kiss going longer.

"Come on. Let's get out of this bar." Alex hopped off her barstool.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I am very stressed out right now, and I am seriously considering lifting the 'no sex' rule to get my mind off of things."

She started to walk away, but Jimmy didn't move from his barstool. She turned back. "OK, in order for me to do this, I require you. Preferably naked."

Jimmy was still downcast. "I'm just not up for it. Sorry."

Alex was having difficulty processing the situation. "Let me see if I have this right. I'm a gorgeous woman. We both agree on that, correct?"

"Of course."

"And you're the guy who hasn't had a lot of sex in his life. Yet I'm the one practically begging you to sleep with me, and you're turning me down?" She shook her head to clear it. "Is this still planet Earth? Are we suddenly in some weird parallel universe where the women are the ones who are constantly horny?"

Jimmy turned towards her with a bizarre expression. "That's a rather geeky line coming from you."

_Oops_, she thought. She sat down on the barstool again. "OK, you caught me."

"What do you mean?"

She hesitated for a moment. "If anybody else finds out about this, I will hunt you down and have you stuffed and mounted over my fireplace."

"I promise. What?"

Alex raised her hand in guilt. "Closet Trekkie."

Jimmy's jaw hit the floor. "Seriously?" He doubled over in laughter.

"Hey, hey! In my defense, it was for a mission."

Jimmy couldn't stop laughing. "What? Did Beckman order you to boink Mr. Spock to steal some dilithium crystals? Well, at least you can look on the bright side: you only have to seduce him once every seven years!"

"Ha, ha, ha. Pain in the ass. I was trying to steal back some files one of our techs tried to sell to the highest bidder, and I had to go in as someone's date at a costume party. The theme was science fiction. My date was really into Star Trek, so I had to study the characters, some of the plots, that kind of thing. Then…well…it was that one guilty pleasure I allowed myself."

"It was at a costume party? Did you dress up as Princess Leia in her gold bikini?"

Alex looked down at her body. "I wish I did now. But there were a half-dozen women dressed that way at the party." She touched her breasts. "And truthfully, I don't think the ladies could have pulled that off. Not that I think they're too small or anything. I like my body the way it is."

"Hey, you should be proud of it. I've had several pleasant conversations with the ladies this weekend."

Alex was getting annoyed. "And yet you don't want to go upstairs?"

"What was your costume?" Jimmy asked.

"I went as an Orion slave girl."

Jimmy perked up at that thought. "Really? I never would have pictured you trying that."

Alex shook her head. "I know I'm going to regret this, but…" She pulled a photo out of her wallet and handed it to Jimmy.

"Whoah. You can definitely pull off the Orion slave girl look. Very hot."

"You think so?"

"Forgive me for being unprofessional, but RAWR!"

Alex gave a tired sigh. "Someone took this picture of me, and I retrieved it for security reasons. You won't believe what I had to go through to get it back."

"I'll give you a thousand bucks right now if you'll let me keep this."

Alex snatched the picture from Jimmy's hands. "Smart ass."

"So, that's your big secret? You're actually a human being under there?"

"Well, I blame Chuck, Sarah, and you for doing that to me. But I have to admit, this job has gotten a little easier since Las Vegas. The two missions I had following that one were unqualified successes. And this mission will end that way as well. Like I said, you're the best partner I ever had. With your help, we'll get those bastards."

She hopped off the barstool and turned Jimmy's to face her. She stepped in between his legs and kissed him. "Now let's go upstairs."

"I don't know. I'm so out of it at this point."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah?" She grabbed the picture and put it in his face while sliding her hand between his legs.

Jimmy growled. "I hate that you know which buttons of mine to push."

Alex grinned. "No offense, Jimmy, but you don't have that many buttons yet."

He sighed. "Fine. Have it your way." He got off the barstool.

"Trust me, I'll be having it every way imaginable," Alex replied with considerable lust. She took his hand, and they started walking to the elevator. After a few steps, Jimmy stopped and turned back.

"You forgot your papers."

He grabbed the papers off of the bar and glanced at them. He saw the account numbers from the three companies. Suddenly, he flashed. He saw images of ships, a loading dock, and a location: Howland Hook Marine Terminal.

Jimmy staggered from the pain and crashed into the wall. Alex grabbed him. "What's wrong?"

Jimmy was still smarting from the pain of his flash, but he knew he had to cover it up. "Son of a bitch! Why didn't I think of that before?"

"What?"

Jimmy grabbed Alex's hand. "Come on."

They ran upstairs to the suite. Jimmy immediately got on the computer. "I must be slipping in my old age not to think of this."

"There are two dozen brainiacs at Langley who haven't figured this out yet. Enough with the self-loathing and tell me what's going on."

Jimmy started his research. "These numbers we found in Williams and Lowe's computers? We assumed these were bank account numbers somewhere overseas."

Alex rolled her eyes, already getting where Jimmy was going. "And as everybody knows, when you make an assumption…"

"…you make an ass out of you, and umption," they said together.

"However," Jimmy said as he furiously typed into the computer. "What if the numbers meant something else, like a record number in a database somewhere?"

He programmed the computer to scan for the same numbering sequence on ports throughout the Tri-State area. The match came up immediately.

"And here it is. What we thought were account numbers were really record numbers for ships coming into the Howland Hook Marine Terminal in New Jersey. Most of their data has been converted over a few times as they upgraded their computers and software, but they still use their old numbering system so they could eventually archive every ship's data that ever went though there."

"Nice work. Let's see what we have." Alex looked at the data. "This ship put into port in Turkey, Syria, Libya, and Algeria. They could have loaded the weapon on the ship at any of those locations."

"According to the schedule, it's set to make port at 6:00 AM tomorrow."

"OK, we'll contact Beckman, and we can have every CIA agent and Port Authority Police ready to swarm that ship as soon as it gets here. That weapon will never touch land."

"I guess you were right. This isn't over yet."

"I was right twice. You didn't fail, either."

"I did kind of ruin your evening, though."

Forrest pulled him away from the computer and shoved him against the wall. She kissed him hard and grinded her body up against him. Jimmy caressed her all over.

She looked into his eyes, trying hard to contain her heat. "Consider this a preview of tomorrow night." She went back to kissing him.

_**Howland Hook Marine Terminal, New Jersey  
November 9, 2010  
5:45 AM**_

Alex and Jimmy emerged from their car outside of the docks and looked into the distance at the incoming ship. The New Jersey Port Authority reported the ship would be docking in 15 minutes, and the CIA had 30 agents joining them to search the ship.

The group of agents and officers gathered around a blueprint of the ship. Alex drew the plans.

"Once docking is secured, we will board the ship. Murdock and I will lead the team to locate the correct container. Everybody else, secure the ship and detain any crew members in the galley. Get every piece of information, including ID's, backgrounds, the works. I want Port Authority officers to cover the access points to the ship and protect any of the people involved with docking procedures, just in case we get someone on board who tries to shoot their way off the ship. Hazmat teams, you'll be on standby. Take no chances, people. If there's even a hint the weapon has been activated, you evacuate to the designated safe area and we invoke containment protocols IMMEDIATELY. Any questions? Time to go earn our pay. Let's move out."

Jimmy stood away from the group, listening carefully. However, a little sense of fear still managed to creep into his mind. Beckman warned him this case was a critical one, and she was right on target. He thought he was supposed to be getting more confident with experience. He considered it a bit of luck…and an occasionally-functioning Intersect…that this mission could still be a success. As much as he wanted to, it was still a bit hard to shake his old habits.

_Come on, idiot. New life, remember? That old, fat, loser is gone now? You found the frickin' weapon, didn't you? We grab this thing, mission accomplished. That whole planet-saving thing we talked about?_

He had to admit it: he needed to work on his pep talks. Forrest came up behind him.

"You ready?"

"All set."

Alex gave him a look. Evidently, Jimmy also needed to work on his poker face.

"All right, a little nervous."

"I figured as much. But I'm not worried."

"OK, you not worrying makes me even more nervous."

"I've seen you nervous before. At the pool in Las Vegas? That was a smart move Sarah made to try and distract you. Knowing what I know now, it was understandable why you were so nervous. Any guy would have had difficulty with two beautiful women in bikinis feeling them up. But when it came time for work, suddenly you turned it on and did what needed to be done. That'll happen here today."

"I hope so."

"No, you don't _hope_ so. It will happen. Get that 'I hope so' shit out of your head. There's no room for it. You WILL do it."

Jimmy nodded. "You're right."

Alex pulled out her gun and pulled back on the slide. "Let's go."

The ship finished its docking, and Port Authority officers kept their guns trained on the deck. Alex and Jimmy led the team of 15 CIA agents up the gangway and boarded the ship. A second team followed behind and started to escort crew members to the galley. Alex and Jimmy made their way to the container on the starboard aft side of the ship.

"Anything on the scanner?" Alex asked one of the agents following them with a hazardous materials detector.

"It's clear," was the reply.

They approached the container. Alex took half the agents on one side, while Jimmy took the other half on the opposite site. Closing in with guns aimed, they approached the doors to the container with the number on their records.

The container was open. And empty. It was the last thing anybody wanted to see.

"Aaaah, hell," Jimmy said with considerable anger.

"Agent Forrest! Agent Murdock!"

Alex and Jimmy turned to the voice. Two agents ran towards them with someone from the ship following close behind.

"This is Dale Carson, the Captain," one of the agents said. "Tell them what you told us."

"A small raft came along side of us, and one of the crew members started shooting. He then leaped over the side and got into the raft. They took off."

"Where did he leap from?" Alex asked.

"Starboard side, 15 yards forward of that container you were looking at," Carson replied.

"How long ago did this happen?"

"20 minutes ago, maybe a little more now."

Jimmy ran to the back of the ship. "Binoculars!" An agent followed behind him with a set of binoculars. Jimmy looked out over Newark Bay.

"Son of a bitch! They landed in Red Hook."

"Get us all the information you can on the guy who jumped off!" Alex ran for the gangway with the other agents in pursuit. Jimmy followed close behind. They sprinted for their car.

"I'm driving!" Jimmy shouted.

"I'm driving!" Alex replied.

"What? Are we Riggs and Murtaugh now?"

"GET IN!"

Jimmy ran for the passenger seat. "Just as well. I'm getting too old for this shit."

Alex floored it and headed for the Staten Island Expressway. Jimmy got on the phone.

"NYPD dispatch, this is Agent Roger Murdock, CIA. Authorization code 27855-Beta-Echo-Charlie. Declaring a Level One Protocol through Homeland Security. We have an unknown weapon of mass destruction being delivered into New York. Possible location, Red Hook, Brooklyn. Coordinate local law enforcement and Hazmat crews immediately. Seal off docks along Newark Bay and arrest anybody in the containment zone. Do not let anybody out. Alert your emergency services personnel and the MTA. Repeat, unknown number of terrorists attempting to bring unknown weapon of mass destruction into New York. Red Hook is possible location. This is not a drill."

Jimmy hung up the phone as Alex weaved in and out of traffic on the expressway at 100 MPH. Jimmy listened for police chatter regarding the terrorists. His mobile phone rang again.

"Murdock here." Jimmy listened to the report from the NYPD. "Give me that description again." He wrote down the information. "Stay on them." He hung up his phone.

"They got off the docks. NYPD couldn't get there fast enough to seal off the area. They shot their way out of Red Hook. They're in a black cargo van, New York plate TSC-775."

"OK, we'll head down the Gowanus Expressway and try to cut them off," Alex replied. "Hopefully NYPD already thought of that, too. We can keep them boxed in and stop them from going to Manhattan."

"You don't think they'll just cut bait and try to set it off in Brooklyn? They have to know we're on their asses by now."

"Not until they've actually been cut off. Until they know it's impossible, they're going to try and make their statement by getting to Manhattan."

"OK, then. Get on the BQE, and we'll be ahead of them. Get off at the first exit and we'll block their access to the Battery Tunnel."

Alex flew down the BQE and went off at exit 27. She turned onto Atlantic Avenue.

Their plans couldn't have worked any better.

"There they are!" Jimmy shouted as he spotted the cargo van. He rolled down his window and pulled out a gun. The van immediately turned left and sped down Court Street. Alex and Jimmy pursued it down the street and followed it into its turn onto Dean and another quick left onto Smith. Alex closed the gap, and Jimmy leaned out of the window. He aimed his gun and shot out the rear tire. The van swerved, and Jimmy shot out the other rear tire. The van went out of control and crashed into a lightpole.

"LOOK OUT!" Alex's scream got Jimmy back in the car just in time as she swerved to avoid a taxi that ran a stop sign. Their car clipped a parked van and flipped over. It skidded to a stop.

"Son of a bitch!" Jimmy cursed. "You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm OK," Alex replied in a daze.

Jimmy unlocked his seatbelt and crawled out of the car. He waited until Alex did the same thing, and both went to the van with guns drawn. They peered inside the van to find the driver and front-seat passenger not moving. Alex checked the pulse of each.

"Both dead. But I don't see any weapon."

Jimmy immediately got on his phone. "NYPD, how many were reported in the van?"

"Six," was the reply.

Jimmy hung up his phone and looked around with alarm. "We are so screwed. There are 4 somewhere with the weapon."

"Dammit. Where the hell did they go?" Alex started looking around. "You're right. We're screwed. The trail has been burned."

Jimmy continued to look around. He spotted the subway station. "I'm wrong. We're not screwed." He sprinted for the station.

"What the hell are you doing?" Alex called after him.

"Find out what line goes to Manhattan from here!" Jimmy shouted over his shoulder as he bounded down the stairs to the subway.

Four NYPD cars pulled up behind Alex. She immediately whipped out her ID. "CIA, Agent Alex Forrest. I'm in charge of the pursuit. What line goes to Manhattan from that station?"

"The Number 4 line. It goes to Grand Central Station."

"Call it in. Have Grand Central and the surrounding buildings evacuated. Contact the Transit Police to intercept and board any train that left the station at Atlantic and Flatbush within the last 5 minutes. We have 4 terrorists left. Orders are shoot to kill. I need to borrow one of your squad cars."

Alex stepped into the vehicle without waiting for an answer. She peeled out of the area with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

* * *

Jimmy took the stairs 3 at a time heading into the subway. He jumped the turnstile, flashing his badge as he did so. A train was just pulling out, and he spotted 4 men running through the train cars, pushing and assaulting anyone that got in their way. He dashed for the last car of the train. He ran alongside the train as it picked up speed. He leaped onto the back of the train just before he ran out of platform and fired two shots into the door lock. He shoved the door in with his shoulder and started sprinting down the last car. He ducked down to open the door at the opposite end of the car. Two shots rang out, one of them missing him by two inches. He pushed the door open hard and leveled his gun at the first terrorist. He fired twice and the man fell.

A second terrorist was at the opposite end of the same car. He fired away at the people trying to block his path.

"Stay down! Stay down!" Jimmy repeated the order as he charged the next man. The terrorist fired, and Jimmy dove to the floor. He rolled behind a seat and reloaded. He ducked his head out, and the fanatic fired again. Jimmy leaped over a pair of seats and fired at him. Both shots found their mark, and the man fell. Jimmy quickly got off the passengers he landed on and continued forward on the train.

* * *

Alex came out of the Battery Tunnel into Manhattan and sped up Broadway. She pulled out her mobile phone.

"MTA Transit, do you have a location on that train?"

"We just got a report of shots fired on a Number 4 train. Our computer has that train just passing the Bowling Green station now. We're getting no response from the conductor. We're working on cutting the power to the lines."

"Work faster. That train has to be stopped."

Alex hung up her phone and checked the map on the police unit's computer. She just passed City Hall and was about to hit SoHo. She looked at the stations ahead of her.

_Union Square,_ she thought.

She wasn't even sure if Jimmy got on the train, although the fact that shots were fired might indicate he did. With Grand Central being evacuated, there was only one place where she was of use now. She continued to weave in and out of traffic, almost hitting several taxis and cars that were ignoring the sirens, and made her way to 14th Street.

* * *

Jimmy managed to get three cars further forward without anybody shooting at him. Three cars to go and two terrorists left. Since the train flew through every station without stopping, he had to assume at least one terrorist was at the controls of the train and likely had the weapon as well. As he passed through, almost every passenger was either ducked down or screaming in panic. A couple of them had wounds from being shot by the two remaining terrorists. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't stop and help them. He had a weapon to retrieve.

He opened the door on the forward end of the fifth car. He ducked down and checked before entering the sixth car. He started walking by the passengers. However, something was wrong. Nobody was screaming, and everybody looked paralyzed in fear. He started looking around nervously. He made it to the front of the sixth car. He turned around.

The third terrorist was seated just behind him and leveled his gun at Jimmy.

* * *

Alex ran down the steps at the Union Square station. She looked south down the tracks and saw the train coming. She positioned herself at the far end of the platform closest to the oncoming train. She started to sprint forward with her gun out. As the train passed her, she fired two shots into the air. The passengers in the train ducked down, and she fired into a window, shattering the glass. She dove head-first through the window and landed inside the train. She quickly got up and shook the glass off. She had several cuts along her face and arms, but none of them were life-threatening. She reloaded and ran towards the front of the train.

* * *

Jimmy grabbed the bar above his head and kicked the gun out of the terrorist's hand. He leaped forward and landed a punch to his face. The man swung back, connecting with Jimmy's chin. Jimmy staggered a bit but was able to bring his leg up, connecting with the man's head. He tried to pull out his gun, but the man grabbed his wrist and smashed it against the support pole repeatedly until Jimmy dropped it. Jimmy brought his knee up into the man's stomach and landed a roundhouse on him. He grabbed the man and smashed him into the door over again and again. On the fifth smash, the window gave way, and the terrorist fell out of the train. He landed on the third rail of the opposite track and was electrocuted.

Jimmy quickly retrieved his gun and made it into the seventh car. He quickly ran through and had to duck out of the way of shots fired from the forward car. The windows between cars shattered. Jimmy fired back. They exchanged gunfire until Jimmy was out. He crawled to the door and opened it. He went through to the forward car.

The last terrorist had a gun in his right hand, and a trigger in his left hand attached to a box at his feet. The gun was pointed at Jimmy's head.

"Get up," the man replied with his blood boiling.

Jimmy slowly got up and put his hands behind his head.

"You had no chance, you fool. You shoot me, and I drop this trigger. The chemical agent is released, and thousands die. I will die with a smile on my face knowing how many infidels will perish. Starting with a lapdog of this government."

Jimmy remained motionless, but his eyes were in a fiery rage looking at this man. He could feel someone behind him.

"We will be at Grand Central Station in 7 minutes," the man replied with a sneer. "And you will not stop me."

Jimmy smiled. "You're right. I won't stop you."

Jimmy caught the reflection in the window of Alex behind him with her gun aimed.

"She will."

Jimmy dove forward and grabbed the trigger out of the man's hands. As he ducked down, Forrest opened fire and emptied her clip at the terrorist. He fell back from the impact of the bullets.

Jimmy exhaled in relief as Forrest entered the car. "Impeccable timing, boss."

"Is that thing defused?"

Jimmy took a look at the computer screen. He disabled the trigger in his hand and unplugged it from the box. "The clock on this thing is still going. We've got six minutes."

Alex went to the front of the train. "The conductor is dead and the controls are shot to hell."

"Bastards. I gotta try to stop this thing. Uncouple the other cars from the train."

"Everybody out of this car!" Alex shouted to the half-dozen passengers while she held up her ID. "Move it!"

The passengers quickly left, and Alex went between the cars. She unhooked the chains connecting the cars and disengaged the sleeve connecting the doors. She lay down on the metal step and reached for the lever to release the connector. She pulled hard on the lever and struggled to get it moving. After much effort, it released, and the other 7 cars detached and slowed.

"I need to do more weight training," she muttered to herself as she returned to the car. Jimmy had connected his mobile phone to the weapon and was furiously typing on the small keyboard. He looked up at her and was shocked.

"What the hell are you doing? Get out of here."

Alex didn't budge.

"Goddamn it! Get out of here, Forrest! You're not going out with me!"

Alex still didn't move.

"Crazy bitch," Jimmy muttered as he tried to bypass the weapon's control program.

"Can you get into that thing?" Alex asked, trying to remain calm.

Jimmy checked the clock. "If I had 10 minutes, maybe. But, unfortunately, we're six minutes shy of that. I don't have any way of bypassing the program in less time."

"Dammit. I wish you could just turn off the clock or send it counting up or something."

Jimmy turned to her with his jaw open. "Son of a bitch! Brilliant!" He went back to typing frantically on his mobile phone.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't bypass the weapon's programming code, but the program relies on the computer's internal clock to function. If I can access the core programs for the computer, this might work. I just hope they didn't think to put security on those."

Jimmy located the file he needed. He quickly scanned the code.

Alex looked ahead in the car. "Hurry, Jimmy. They put a train in front of us to prevent this one getting to Grand Central!"

"How long?"

"Less than 2 minutes."

"Oh, good. I didn't think there was enough pressure in this." He found the correct line of code.

"OK, change a couple of less-than symbols to greater-than symbols. Save it. Run it…"

Jimmy checked the clock on the weapon. The time was counting up instead of down.

"Nice thinking, boss. Let's go!" Jimmy grabbed the box, and the two of them ran for the door.

"Butch and Sundance, kiss our ass," Jimmy replied as he leaped. Alex leaped as well, but the sudden shaking of the train made her push off to the right. Jimmy grabbed her and twisted his body.

Jimmy fell on the ground, and his head slammed against the rail. Alex landed on top of him and looked to her right.

Jimmy stopped her from landing on the third rail and being electrocuted.

She looked behind her as the train sped toward the other train. She lay on top of Jimmy and covered their heads. The two trains collided, and the tunnel shook. Several pieces of concrete fell on the two of them.

Alex looked up and around. She was covered in dust, but she wasn't harmed otherwise. She looked at Jimmy. He was unconscious. She quickly checked for his pulse and breathing. She smiled at him and brushed some of the dust off of his face.

"As good as advertised. Better, actually. That's three times now." She placed a tender kiss on his lips. He did not respond, but she didn't care. She held onto him until she saw the EMT's running down the tracks from the 33rd Street Station.

_**New York Downtown Hospital  
November 10, 2010  
3:00 PM**_

Alex was beyond tired. She was likely in trouble with Beckman as well. Instead of reporting to the CIA office in North Jersey to finish her reports, she kept vigil by Jimmy's bed. She completed some of the reports while waiting for him to regain consciousness, but she refused to leave the hospital, much to the annoyance of the hospital staff. Unfortunately, Beckman had a habit of giving the same amount of credit to someone who just saved thousands of lives as she would someone who just picked up her dry cleaning. In fairness, Alex used to have the same habit. It was all part of the job, wasn't it? Her attitude has changed on a lot of things lately.

She pulled out her mobile phone and dialed a number. She looked at the bandages on her arms and touched the one on the side of her face. Considering everything that happened, these weren't even worthy of treatment.

"Hello?"

"Sarah, this is Alex Forrest."

"Hi, Alex. Is your mission over?"

"You could definitely say that."

"Oh, was it part of what we saw in the news out here? Some sort of capture of terrorists who were trying to bring a weapon into the country?"

"They almost succeeded."

"What happened?"

In spite of her exhaustion, a smile came across Alex's face. "Take one wild guess."

"Jimmy, right?"

"He's as good as you said. Actually, he's even better."

"Can I talk to him?"

"I wish you could. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to return him unharmed."

"What? What happened to him? Is he OK?"

"The doctor said he should be OK. He took a nasty hit to the head when he landed on a rail in the New York subway. He pulled me out of the way in mid-air and stopped me from being electrocuted by the third rail." Alex shook her head. "That's three times now he has saved my life."

"I hear you, Alex. Chuck and I have lost count on the number of times he saved us. I don't know how we can ever repay him."

"Well, Sarah, I get the feeling from him you don't have to worry about that. He thinks it's the other way around."

"Are you OK? You sound more than tired."

Alex paused for a moment. "You were right about Jimmy. He got in. He didn't even do anything. I wanted him to keep the relationship professional, and he did. But I couldn't. I don't know what the hell to do, Sarah. I can't have a relationship with him."

"I don't know what your line of thinking is, Alex. But given all that's happened, I don't see how you'll find someone better. If I didn't have Chuck, I'm not sure I'd be letting Jimmy get away from me. I think you'll regret letting him pass you by."

"No, it's not about a relationship with Jimmy. It's any relationship. I just can't do it. I can't go through that."

"Why not?"

"It's just…I just can't do it. I really can't say why, but it just can't happen." Alex hung her head and rubbed her tired eyes. "This job used to be much easier when I was more of a bitch. I could keep people at a great arm's length. Obviously there were consequences to that, as we both know from our first encounter. But I could live with those back then. Now, it's…I just can't be close to anybody."

"I wish I knew what to tell you. But at least do me the favor of not stringing Jimmy along. Be honest with him. I don't want to see him get hurt."

"That I will do. I promise I will be up-front with him. Thank you for helping me with this. Chuck is lucky to have you."

"Thanks, Alex. I hope you make the decision that's best for everybody, including you."

"Goodbye."

Alex hung up the phone and looked at Jimmy. She walked out of the room to stretch.

_**New York Downtown Hospital  
November 10, 2010  
8:00 PM**_

Alex walked back into the room after getting some coffee. As she entered, she saw Jimmy stirring in the bed. Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed the chair she had been sitting in since early afternoon yesterday. She pulled it next to his bed and sat down. She grabbed his hand. Jimmy's eyes blinked open. His head moved slowly to the person holding his hand. He smiled, and Alex gripped his hand tighter.

"Hey, boss. Are you OK?"

Alex looked down, trying to fight back a few tears. "Why am I not surprised that would be the first thing you'd say?"

"Yeah sorry, that little twist in the air was kind of last-minute. I just wanted to make sure you landed safely."

She put his hand up against her lips. "It was a good call. I would have landed on the third rail if you didn't do that. You saved me yet again."

"Well, I have to have my partner's back, right?"

Alex laughed. "I think you've had every part of me in the last week."

She gently placed her hands on either side of his face and gave him a soft kiss. She carefully got in the bed on top of him and continued to kiss him. His responses increased in intensity and desire.

Alex raised an eyebrow as she brushed some of his hair back. "You're in pretty good shape for a man who's been unconscious for over 36 hours."

He gave a gentle smile. "This is the new me, I guess. They can rebuild me. They have the technology."

"Are you saying you have bionic parts, Jimmy?"

"Uh, I don't know if I'd go that far."

Alex gently grinded on top of him as she teased his tongue with hers. "Mmmm, I'd say one part of you could be bionic." She started kissing along his neck and nibbled on his ear."

"Are you sure I'm not too weak to be doing this?"

Alex looked him in the eyes and traced along his lips with the tip of her tongue. She slid her hand down and started inching Jimmy's hospital gown up. "Let's find out."

"OK. Be gentle."

Alex wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Not really my style, but I can play along for you."

She went back to kissing him passionately.

_**New York Downtown Hospital  
November 12, 2010  
10:30 AM**_

Jimmy was packing the last of the clothes he had in the hospital into a small duffel bag.

"I'm certainly glad to be getting out of here. Not that you didn't try to make it more bearable. Believe me, you did."

"Honestly, I had ulterior motives," Alex said with a tinge of jealousy towards the hospital staff. "Those nurses liked to give you a lot of sponge baths while you were unconscious."

"Oh, give me a break. That's their job."

"I've never heard of a nurse needing 30 minutes to give a patient a sponge bath. And 4 times a day?"

"Oh. Well, that explains why I had a dream I slept with half the cast of _Grey's Anatomy_."

"Eww."

"I know. I HATE that show!"

Alex playfully threw a towel at him. "Uh-huh. I'm sure."

"On the good side, at least you don't have to report to D.C. until Monday, and I still get my week's vacation before going back to work."

"Mmmm, I know. And we are going to make good use of that suite. This time, nothing is going to interrupt us."

Jimmy's mobile phone began to ring. He now recognized the number on the caller ID. He showed it to Alex.

"Except her," she replied with considerable ire. Jimmy answered the phone.

"Murdock."

"Go secure," replied the staccato voice.

He punched a few buttons. "Zeta Tango four-two."

After a moment, General Beckman's voice came on the line. "Agent Slade, I want to congratulate you on your performance. You handled yourself brilliantly."

"Thank you, General. It was a team effort."

"Have you been discharged from the hospital?"

"They just signed the papers."

"We have a situation that needs your special talents. MI-5 in London requested our help in a matter they are dealing with, and they wanted to use one of our agents. Book yourself on a flight over there tonight, and they will give you the details this weekend."

Jimmy's face did not indicate happiness at this development, but his voice didn't change. "Yes, General. I'll contact you once I hit the other side of the pond." He hung up the phone.

"Where is she sending you?" Alex asked him.

"London. I'm going to work with MI-5 on a case. I guess that's the idea with successful new agents. Ride them 'til they break."

Alex smiled. "Well, I can't get upset with her. That was also my plan for you this weekend."

Jimmy shook his head in tired frustration. "You're a riot."

"Hey, blame yourself. I didn't have a sense of humor before meeting you."

_Too easy_, Jimmy thought. "And you still don't."

Alex grabbed the towel and started hitting him with it. "You are annoying, you know that?"

Jimmy ran out of the room with a big smile on his face.

_**John F. Kennedy Airport  
November 12, 2010  
3:30 PM**_

Alex and Jimmy walked through the International Terminal on the way to the British Airways gate. Alex regretted telling Jimmy in this fashion, but she knew Sarah was right. If she didn't want a relationship, she couldn't leave Jimmy in the dark anymore.

"Jimmy, let me talk to you for a minute."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Thank you for everything you did this week. You are unquestionably the best partner I ever had, volunteer or not. But I don't think we should work together on any more missions."

"What's wrong? Wasn't I professional?"

"You were completely and totally professional. I would trust you to keep the relationship that way if we ever worked together again. I just don't think I can trust me to do the same thing."

Alex looked down for a minute and tried to collect her thoughts. She took Jimmy's hands. "I didn't think this through as well as I thought. I hoped I could work with you. You were very talented, and you proved it again this week. I thought it would be fun because we had such a good time in Las Vegas. Well, after I stopped acting like such a bitch."

Jimmy gave her a gentle laugh. "I admit things were a little smoother after that."

"But before now, I was always able to keep a distance from my partners. I needed that distance to be a good agent. I can't get close to anybody. It's something that is a part of me. I'm not entitled to have anybody get close. And if I keep working with you, I know I'll blur those lines again, if not erase them entirely. It's not right, and it's not fair to you. But that's how my life has to be. I'm sorry."

Jimmy looked at her for a long moment. He then ran his hand along her cheek. He gave her a kiss. She responded by gripping him tightly and kissing him with increased fervor. Suddenly she broke away.

"Dammit. You really are new to this, aren't you. Couldn't you at least be mad at me? Call me a bitch? Tell me to go to hell?"

"Sorry. You're right. I am very new to this. But even if we never saw each other again, this was still better than anything I've ever had in my life. It's hard to know what I really want because I've never thought I deserved anything before now."

"Trust me. You deserve everything." She slid her arms around his neck. "Down the road somewhere, maybe I'll find you again. And who knows what will happen. But right now, I need to be Agent Alex Forrest. And I only know one way to do that."

She kissed him again. "Besides, I can imagine three weeks in the Bahamas, or Fiji. Maybe find a place on the beach to stay. I would love to see that body of yours in a swimsuit again."

"Mmm, that does sound good. How about we call it a date?"

Alex smiled. "You got it. Good luck in London."

"Take care, Alex."

Alex paused for a moment. "Actually, call me Alexandra."

Jimmy smiled. "OK. It's a much more beautiful name, anyway."

Alex gave him one final kiss, her hands sliding up and down his back. "Take care, James."

"Hope to see you again, Alexandra."

Alex walked towards the AirTrain station to switch terminals for her return flight to Washington, D.C. She resisted the temptation to look back and see whether or not Jimmy was still standing there, watching her walk away. Somehow, she didn't think she would feel better in either case.

Jimmy reached the security checkpoint and handed his passport and ticket to the agent. As he placed his overcoat and laptop in the box, he emptied his pockets. As he reached for his wallet, he felt something else inside his back pocket. He pulled out the object.

Alex gave him the picture of her in the Orion slave girl costume.

Jimmy smiled. He had no knowledge of relationships, given that you can't have knowledge unless you've actually been in one. A collective 11 days of contact, three of which were before they slept together, could not be construed as a relationship by any measure. But he hoped whatever problem Alex had with relationships, he would still be around when she figured it out. This could be a relationship that would make him happy. And it was time for him to start being happy.


End file.
